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THIS  TITLE  HAS  BEEN  MICROFILMED 


A  VISION  REALIZED 


PORTRAIT  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D. 


A  VISION  REALIZED 


A  LIFE  STORY  OF 

REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D. 

ARTIST,  PRIEST,  MISSIONARY 


BY 

J.  R  OERTEL 


MILWAUKEE : 

THE  YOUNG  CHURCHMAN  COMPANY 

1917 


COPTBIGHT  BY 

THE  YOUNG  CHURCHMAN  CO. 
1917 


"Unskilful  he  to  fawn,  or  seek  for  power. 
By  doctrines  fashioned  to  the  varying  hour ; 
Far  other  aims  his  heart  had  learned  to  prize 
More  bent  to  raise  the  wretched  than  to  rise." 

— Oliver  Goldsmith's  "Deserted  Village* 


00 

cr 

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DEDICATION 

This  book,  now  offered  to  the  world  to  perpetuate  the  memory 
of  J.  A.  Oertel,  has  been  compiled  rather  than  written. 

Much  has  been  taken  from  his  own  writings,  much  from  those 
of  his  wife.  Without  the  latter  the  record  would  have  been 
incomplete  as  his  own  life  would  have  been  without  her. 

His  most  ardent  admirer,  yet  his  most  severe  critic,  the 
mother  of  his  children  and  the  mistress  of  his  home,  she  was  at 
the  same  time  his  guide  in  business  affairs. 

His  comfort  and  stay  in  all  the  many  trials  and  disappoint- 
ments that  beset  his  career;  she  cheered  him  in  adversity  and 
with  dauntless  courage  and  an  implicit  faith  in  his  genius  sus- 
tained and  inspired  him  until  at  last  the  great  purpose  of  his 
life  was  realized. 

To  her,  OUE  MOTHER,  this  record  is  reverently  dedicated. 


PORTRAIT  OF  MRS.  JULIA  ADELAIDE  OERTEL 
From  a  drawing  by  J.  A.  O.,  1854 


PREFACE 

[Extract  from  letter  dated  February  29,  1896.] 

J.  A.  Oertel  to  his  wife. 

"At  this  moment  comes  to  me  what  a  pile  of  material  the 
fellow  will  have  who,  after  we  are  gone,  undertakes  the  thankless 
labor  of  trying  to  rescue  our  names  from  oblivion  by  compiling 
a  biography,  no  inconsiderable  part  of  which  is  noted  in  my 
letters. 

"I  pity  him  beforehand,  i.  e.,  if  so  foolish  a  fellow  could  be 
born.  Let's  burn  them  all  and  prevent  so  inconsiderate  an  under- 
taking." 


The  letters  were  not  burned,  and  the  "foolish  fellow"  (or 
fellows)  were  born,  and  in  a  spirit  of  duty  to  their  great  father 
have  undertaken  to  give  to  the  world  the  following  record  of  his 
life  and  works.  This  is  given  as  a  simple  story  of  his  life,  much 
of  it  autobiographic,  his  aim  and  purpose  in  art,  his  struggles  to 
maintain  the  standard  set  and  to  reach  the  goal  he  had  in  view 
and  his  ultimate  success. 


J.  F.  Oertel 

T.  E.  Oertel,  M.D. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Preface vii 

Introduction xiii 

Chapter          I ^ 

Chapter         II ^ 

Chapter       III 32 

Chapter        IV 39 

Chapter         V 5^ 

Chapter       VI 61 

Chapter      VII 75 

Chapter    VIII 81 

Chapter       IX 108 

Chapter         X 120 

Chapter       XI 1^8 

Chapter      XII 155 

Chapter    XIII 165 

Chapter     XIV 169 

Chapter      XV  ^ 190 

Chapter     XVI 205 

Chapter  XVII 210 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

PoRTKAiT  OF  Rev.  J.  A.  Oertel,  D.D.     .      .      .     Frojitispiece 

Portrait  of  Mrs.  Julia  Adelaide  Oertel     .     .     .  vi-vii 

Battle  at  the  Pass  of  Thermopylae     ....  2-3 

The  Descent  into  Hell 8-9 

The  Dispensations  of  Promise  and  the  Law     .     .  14-15 

The  Redeemer 24-25 

The  Dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spirit     .     .     .  26-27 

The   Consummation  of   Redemption     ....  28-29 

Steel  Engravings  made  for  Bank  Notes     .      .     .  34-35 

Cattle  at  Rest        46-47 

The  Rock  of  Ages        66-67 

A  Rough  Sea 112-113 

The  Walk  to  Gethsemane 142-143 

Figure  of  Christ 154-155 

Reredos  and  Altar 160-161 

"The  Sands  of  Dee" 162-163 

Ezekiel's  Vision 162-163 

Charlemagne 166-167 

Successors  to  Royalty 170-171 

In  the  Studio,  Bel  Air,  Md 174-175 

Evening  Meditation 174-175 

The  Death  of  Saul 212-213 

Credence  Table 218-219 

Reredos  in  the  Cathedral,  Quincy,  III.     .     .     .  222-223 


INTRODUCTION 

"The  imagination  of  Fra  Bartolommeo  glowed  with  religious 
and  poetical  exaltation,  with  the  love  of  God,  and  enthusiasm  for 
art." — Poetry  of  Christian  Art,  Page  280. 

"In  our  day  it  (art)  is  nothing  but  an  accessory,  a  pleasing 
talent,  whereas  of  old,  and  in  the  Middle  x\ges  it  was  a  pillar  of 
society,  its  conscience  and  the  expression  of  its  religious  senti- 
ment."— Jean  Francois  Millet. 

In  the  art  of  to-day,  reaching  so  far  as  it  does 
toward  perfection  in  the  glorious  possibilities  of 
technique  and  outward  expression,  the  inner  life, 
the  soul  of  the  work,  is  too  often  forgotten,  or 
rather  not  thought  of  or  looked  for  at  all. 

If  the  figure  be  arrayed  in  gorgeous  raiment,  if 
the  draperies  be  of  exquisite  shadings  and  richest 
harmonies  of  color,  what  it  may  say  to  the  beholder 
is  of  small  moment ;  lovely  without,  the  critical  eye 
of  the  period  is  satisfied,  and  cares  not  for  the  spirit 
beneath  the  folds,  nor  asks  for  anything  more  from 
the  canvas  than  the  sentimental  and  sensuous 
delight  this  harmonious  perfection  affords. 

The  subject,  as  can  be  seen  by  reference  to  the 
walls  of  our  exhibition  galleries,  is  apt  to  be  quite 
inferior  to  the  manner  of  its  execution,  and  any 
subject  painted  in  accordance  with  the  ruling  taste 
of  the  day  is  accepted,  no  matter  how  trivial,  or  in 
some  cases  even  repulsive,  as  in  the  gladiatorial 
pictures,  or  scenes  from  vulgar  life. 


xiv  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Those  olden  times  when  art  was  ^^the  pillar 
of  society,  its  conscience,  and  its  religious 
enthusiasm''  have  passed,  and  while  it  remains 
intellectual  and  sensuous,  it  has  lost  the  grandeur 
of  being  the  exponent  of  a  people's  faith,  and  the 
power  of  lifting  the  thoughts  to  higher  and  better 
things,  of  being  a  purifier,  an  element  of  religious 
education  and  advancement,  and  a  spiritual  force 
to  draw  man  nearer  to  his  God. 

It  is  not  pertinent  to  the  subject  to  inquire  how 
this  state  of  things  is  but  the  natural  outgrowth  of 
the  onward  rush  of  the  present  century,  as  is 
claimed ;  the  fact  is  patent,  but  it  may  be  of  value 
to  stop  and  consider  what  is  lost  by  the  change,  and 
to  ask  whether  the  result  to  the  world  of  all  this 
acute  study  of  artistic  excellencies  is  worth  the 
effort  it  costs,  when  not  joined  to  an  art  that  has  a 
higher  and  holier  motive.  This  should  not  be 
understood  to  underrate  in  any  way  the  value  of  a 
perfect  technique.  A  worthy  subject  is  worthy  of  a 
perfect  expression,  and  if  this  perfection  of  execu- 
tion might  only  be  thrown  around  the  noblest 
subjects  it  would  give  life  to  an  art  worthy  of  the 
advanced  times  in  which  we  live. 

That  art  ''of  old  and  in  the  middle  ages" 
enchains  to  this  day  not  only  the  intellectual  facul- 
ties but  the  affections  are  drawn  out  to  it,  and  it 
finds  a  responsive  echo  in  the  holiest  recesses  of  the 
Christian  soul  and  life. 

Why  should  modern  art  drift  away,  feeding  the 
mind  and  eyes  only  and  leaving  the  soul  to  starve  ? 

Why  should  not  this  outward  excellence  be 
studied  with  careful  motive  to  clothe  with  winning 


INTRODUCTION  xv 

beauty  a  holy  and  helpful  thought,  as  the  wonderful 
shrines  are  covered  with  silver  and  gold  and  en- 
riched with  precious  gems,  not  for  their  own  sakes 
but  for  the  value  of  the  sacred  relic  lying  within'? 

In  so  far  as  the  wonderful  loveliness  of  the 
Creator's  works  is  shown  and  the  soul  dwelling  in 
flower  or  landscape  revealed,  or  when  the  great 
heart  of  humanity  is  touched  by  an  artistic  render- 
ing of  the  toils,  and  joys,  and  woes,  and  the  rude 
poetry  of  the  life  of  the  common  people,  as  by 
Millet,  a  high  plain  has  been  reached  and  a  most 
worthy  object  attained,  but  there  are  still  grander 
ideas  connected  with  man's  spiritual  development, 
with  his  downfall,  his  redemption,  his  hopes  of 
immortality  which  ought  to  be  first  as  themes  for 
the  artist's  mind  and  hand  and  rank  high  above  all 
others,  as  the  sun  shining  in  his  strength  is  beyond 
all  lesser  lights  in  glory. 

If  art,  as  has  been  said,  must  be  purely  emo- 
tional and  its  province  be  altogether  exclusive  of 
ideas  and  the  fewer  the  ideas  contained  therein  the 
finer  the  art,  there  is  surely  nothing  in  it  to  satisfy 
the  craving  of  an  immortal  soul;  and  froth  and 
foam  and  husks  only  must  leave  unappeased  the 
hunger  which  craves  the  wine  of  truth  and  the  fine 
wheat  that  nourishes  to  eternal  life. 

The  art  of  the  great  Past  was  always  ^^the 
expression  of  the  religious  sentiment  of  the  people" 
from  whom  it  had  birth ;  pagan  as  well  as  the  true 
faith  crystallized  itself  in  artistic  forms,  and  it  has 
remained  for  this  later  age,  so  full  of  monstrosities 
in  religion  and  philosophies,  to  divorce  art  from  the 
people's  faith  and  make  it  purely  subservient  to 


xvi  A  VISION  REALIZED 

the  world  and  the  uses  of  this  mortal  life,  polluting 
it  by  dragging  do^^^l  to  earth  what  should  be  a  pure 
spiritual  guide  leading  up  to  Heaven. 

Alas  that  the  time  has  gone  by  when  the  artist 
believed  himself  a  seer,  an  interpreter  of  God's 
mysteries ! 

He  no  more  feels  ennobled  by  the  knowledge 
that  he  ministers  at  the  altar  of  his  God,  and  that 
he  ^^ paints  for  eternity'' ;  his  pictures  now  stand  on 
a  level  with  the  embroideries  on  a  portiere,  if 
indeed  they  have  not  a  tendency  to  lower  the  mind 
and  soul  by  their  influence. 

There  are  some  signs  of  an  awakening  in  the 
increase  of  art  decoration  in  the  churches,  though 
in  many  of  them  the  same  rule  prevails  as  in  the 
picture  world;  they  are  made  glorious  in  har- 
monious chords  of  color  but  in  senseless  and 
unmeaning  forms,  appealing  only  to  the  same 
faculties  of  sensuous  emotion  and  with  no  motive 
to  make  them  worthy  of  the  place  they  hold.  In  a 
few  instances,  however,  an  art  which  teaches  finds 
a  place,  and  enrichments,  memorial  or  otherwise, 
are  introduced  which  will  stand  silent  preachers 
for  many  generations. 

There  are  other  indications  too,  now  and  then, 
which  show  that  lovers  of  aesthetics  are  becoming 
anxious  for  an  art  that  is  not  all  mere  color  and 
subtlety  of  handling  and  that  the  will  of  the  relig- 
ious public  is  a  strong  and  controlling  force. 

The  time  for  Christian  art  of  the  highest  kind 
may  be  approaching,  and  the  rendering  of  truly 
noble  thoughts  find  appreciation  and  encourage- 
ment in  this  country. 


INTRODUCTION  xvii 

With  this  idea  is  brought  before  the  reader  an 
old  name  that  is  almost  crowded  out  of  the  artistic 
list  by  the  multitude  of  new  names  that  have  risen 
on  the  waves  of  popular  favor  as  they  sailed  with 
the  prevailing  winds  of  fashion  and  technical 
ability,  a  name  linked  in  the  minds  of  those  who 
remember  it  at  all  with  so  many  different  styles  of 
work  they  scarcely  know  where  to  place  it,  and 
which  would  be  immortal  as  the  painter  of  ^^The 
Rock  of  Ages"  if  the  name  of  the  artist  was  known 
—as,  strangely  enough,  it  is  not— wherever  the 
reproduction  of  this  most  popular  of  modern  works 
has  gone. 

In  considering  the  material  in  hand  from  which 
to  compile  an  account  of  the  life  and  works  of  the 
Rev.  Johannes  A.  S.  Oertel,  D.D.,  one  leading  idea 
is  impressed  upon  the  mind— that  here  was  a  man 
who  battled  for  a  principle  through  a  life  of  vicissi- 
tudes and  changes  and  of  many  failures  and  disap- 
pointments, but  who  always  kept  his  eye  fixed  on 
the  goal  he  was  striving  to  win  and  in  whose  artistic 
career  there  was  no  variation  of  purpose  notwith- 
standing the  stern  necessities  of  daily  life  com- 
pelled him  to  a  variety  of  departures  from  the  path 
he  would  have  chosen. 

In  a  letter  written  in  1896  he  says : 

^*I  have  just  read  a  sketch  of  Lord  Leighton's 
life,  and  my  mind  drew  the  contrast  of  such  a  career 
and  mine  from  beginning  to  the  end ;  every  advan- 
tage given  of  station,  money,  teachers,  travel, 
training,  and  abundance  of  facilities,  and  with 
marked  success  all  along— and  my  experience;  in 
poverty,  an  object  of  charity  for  years;  confined 


xviii  A  VISION  REALIZED 

within  narrow  limits  of  travel,  of  seeing,  of  helps 
for  study;  with  only  such  training  as  persistent 
half -blind  effort  supplied;  hampered  by  want  of 
facilities ;  cramped  by  Care ;  forced  aside  by  multi- 
plicity of  pursuits ;  discouraged  to  intimidation  by 
failure  and  cold  public  sentiment,  my  faculties  split 
up  by  efforts  at  making  a  living  in  a  variety  of 
directions,  from  the  start  as  a  boy  of  14  to  this  date, 
seven  years  older  than  Leighton,  one  continuous, 
long  almost  uninterrupted  conflict. 

^^I  do  not  overdraw.  To  this  very  day  I  have  to 
create  my  own  tools,  as  it  were.  In  this  line  I  have 
done  nearly  everything  but  manufacture  my  o^vn 
canvas,  paints,  and  brushes ;  for  as  to  models,  the 
glass  has  served  me  much  more  frequently  than 
other  people's  figures. 

^^  Reading  of  such  a  different  life,  of  course, 
brings  some  reflection.  Of  course,  also,  I  ap- 
preciate the  value  of  such  training  for  inde- 
pendence, self-reliance,  self-help  and  increase  of 
resources. 

^^That  I  have  not  a  greater  amount  of  all  these  I 
almost  regard  as  a  blame. 

*^In  all  probability  the  incessant  cold  water  of 
neglect  over  me  has  kept  down  more  vigorous  work 
and  squeezed  me  into  a  shrinking  attitude. 

^^But  let  it  pass.  It  matters  not  what  man's 
position  is  in  the  mouths  of  men.  Human  estimate 
is  at  best  a  fickle  and  very  deceitful  thing.  To  the 
struggling  man  it  is  of  inestimable  comfort  to  have 
the  knowledge  of  the  existence  of  bookkeeping  by 
double  entry— one  for  this  world,  another  for  the 
next ;  a  view  of  that,  and  a  striving  for  lofty  aims. 


INTRODUCTION  xix 

has  alone  supplied  me  energy  when  outward  fail- 
ures would  have  crushed  every  effort. 

'^  'Fly  your  fancy  into  the  clouds,  and  from 
this  imaginary  height  take  a  view  of  mortals  here 
below'  said  even  pagan  Marcus  Aurelius!  and  why 
should  not  I,  a  Christian,  with  more  exalted  knowl- 
edge r' 

These  very  vicissitudes,  much  as  they  are  to  be 
deplored,  show  him  to  have  been  possessed  of  a 
versatility  of  talent  most  remarkable  though  they 
divided  his  faculties,  frittered  his  strength,  and 
made  his  life  a  battle  for  existence  rather  than 
an  opportunity  for  the  development  of  the  great 
natural  and  spiritual  gifts  with  which  he  was 
endowed. 

His  principle  was  that  art  worthy  to  be  made 
the  life  work  of  a  man  with  an  immortal  soul  and 
God-given  intellectual  powers  should  be  teaching 
art  and  not  a  mere  manufacture  of  the  beautiful, 
his  desire  and  aim  to  lay  all  he  could  do  at  the  feet 
of  his  Divine  Lord  and  through  his  art  to  preach 
Christ  and  tell  the  story  of  salvation  to  the  world. 

In  the  following  chronicle  it  will  be  necessary 
to  speak  much  of  the  man  and  the  circumstances 
surrounding  him  at  various  times  because  his  art 
life  was  shaped  by  those  circumstances  as  the 
course  of  the  stream  is  turned  by  the  configuration 
of  the  country  through  which  it  flows  and  its  waters 
either  placid  or  lashed  to  fury  by  the  character  of 
the  bed  beneath  it,  whether  it  be  sandy  and  smooth 
or  full  of  jagged  rocks  and  bowlders. 

But  in  speaking  of  these  circumstances  and 
conditions  the  aim  will  be  to  mention  only  such  as 


XX  A  VISION  REALIZED 

had  direct  bearing  and  influence  on  his  artistic 
career  and  as  such  be  of  interest  to  the  world  at 
large. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Johannes  Adam  Simon  Oertel  was  born  in 
Flirth,  near  Nuremberg,  Bavaria,  on  November  3, 
1823. 

From  his  infancy  the  ruling  talent  of  his  life 
was  apparent;  inventiveness  showing  itself  at  a 
very  early  age.  Not  only  did  his  baby  hands  draw, 
but  his  baby  brain  invented  forms  and  com^DOsed 
them  in  groups;  and  in  the  pencil  he  found  the 
chief  amusement  of  his  early  youth.  Some  small 
drawings,  both  figure  and  animal,  bear  the  words 
**from  my  6th  year."  Although  of  course  he  was 
often  compelled  to  copy,  it  was  exceedingly  dis- 
tasteful and  in  his  later  3^ears  became  positively 
repulsive  to  him,  his  mind  being  so  filled  with 
images  of  his  own  that  it  could  not  endure  the  task 
of  reproducing  the  work  and  thoughts  of  others. 
When  about  9  years  of  age  he  executed  two  elab- 
orate pieces  of  caligraphy  which  are  still  in  exist- 
ence in  a  fair  state  of  preservation,  ''The  Lord's 
Prayer"  and  ''The  Ten  Commandments."  They 
are  3  feet  by  2  in  size  and  contain  much  ornamenta- 
tion and  even  figure  drawing.  They  were  done  in 
india  ink  and  with  quill  pens  made  by  himself  from 
crow  quills  gathered  in  the  woods.  He  was  a  small 
and  delicate  child  and  could  only  execute  them  by 
lying  flat  upon  the  table  while  he  worked. 


2  A  VISION  REALIZED 

His  parents  always  testified  to  the  earnest  per- 
severance with  which  he  pursued  this  work  when 
out  of  school,  even  late  into  the  night. 

He  seems,  notwithstanding  the  prominence  of 
his  artistic  tastes,  not  to  have  intended  to  follow 
them,  as  in  his  thirteenth  year  he  went  to  study 
with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Loehe,  an  eminent  clerg}Tiian, 
with  a  view  to  giving  himself  to  the  work  of  foreign 
missions. 

While  he  studied  he  traced  one  fancy  after 
another  upon  the  broad  margins  of  his  class  books, 
and  the  good  and  wise  pastor  soon  saw  that  his 
pupil  had  mistaken  his  vocation,  and  that  if  he  had 
a  message  to  declare  to  the  world  it  ought  to  be 
by  form  rather  than  words.  He  advised  the  boy 
to  change  his  plans  and  become  a  student  of  art. 
After  a  year  with  Mr.  Loehe  he  acted  upon  this 
judicial  advice  and  became  the  pupil  of  Mr.  J.  M. 
Ensing  Miiller,  a  noted  artist  and  engraver  of 
Nuremberg,  taking  up  the  study  of  art  in  general 
and  steel  engraving  in  particular. 

This  excellent  teacher  was  himself  a  man  of 
superior  and  poetic  mind,  of  large  inventiveness 
and  refined  ideality,  and  he  guided  the  young  and 
ardent  mind  of  his  gifted  pupil  most  judiciously, 
only  directing  it,  and  leaving  it  free  to  work  out 
its  own  individuality. 

This  connection  continued,  with  some  inter- 
ruptions and  the  change  from  the  relation  of  pupil 
to  that  of  friend,  until  his  twenty-fifth  year. 

The  tedious  and  laborious  art  of  steel  engrav- 
ing was  distasteful  to  a  mind  so  full  of  active 
thought,  but  he  worked  on  unflinchingly. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.         3 

In  1838  and  1839  he  was,  with  his  master,  in 
Munich.  Surrounded  by  the  works  of  Cornelius 
and  Kaulbach,  whose  style  and  influence  then  con- 
trolled the  Munich  school,  the  boy's  mind  was  filled 
with  a  new  and  powerful  impulse;  especially  the 
works  of  the  latter  artist  seemed  to  give  him  wings, 
and  he  commenced  more  extended  efforts  in  com- 
position than  he  had  before  attempted.  He  was  at 
that  time  an  enthusiastic  student  of  Grecian  his- 
tory, from  which  several  bold  designs  dating  from 
his  eighteenth  year  are  still  preserved.  These  were 
executed  in  cartoon  and  in  his  leisure  hours,  but 
he  could  not  lay  aside  the  steel  plates  from  which 
he  derived  his  support.  One  of  the  cartoons,  ^^The 
Battle  of  the  Granicus,"  embodying  an  incident  in 
the  life  of  Alexander  the  Great,  is  8  by  12  feet.  It 
is  vigorous  in  treatment  and  skilful  in  composi- 
tion. Though  damaged  by  age  and  by  frequent 
removals,  this  hung  on  the  walls  of  his  various 
studios  until  his  death.  It  was  also  done  in  color 
about  the  same  time,  13  by  20  inches. 

Another  of  these  compositions,  ^^The  Battle  at 
the  Pass  of  Thermopylae, "  is  in  monochrome,  2  feet 
6  inches  by  3  feet.  It  represents  the  few  remaining 
Spartans  struggling  against  the  opposing  hosts; 
a  bold  composition  and  displaying  a  wonderful 
knowledge  of  the  human  form. 

All  of  his  early  works,  as  well  as  his  writing- 
some  of  which  almost  required  the  use  of  a  mag- 
nifying glass  to  read— showed  his  training  as  a  steel 
engraver  in  the  fine  detail  and  exactness  with  which 
they  were  executed. 

His  father,  Thomas  Frederick,  was  an  expert 


4  A  VISION  REALIZED 

metal  worker  and,  as  was  the  custom  at  that  time, 
had  his  shop  in  his  house,  where  he  worked  with 
his  helpers  and  apprentices. 

Johannes  from  him  inherited  marked  mechan- 
ical ability  and  in  the  shop  learned  to  do  all  kinds 
of  metal  work,  a  knowledge  that  was  very  useful 
to  him  in  after  years  when  obliged  to  '^create  his 
owTi  tools/'  While  thus  training  his  mental  facul- 
ties the  physical  were  not  neglected. 

As  he  grew  up  he  gained  in  strength  and  spent 
considerable  time  in  training  his  body  at  the  gym- 
nasium, excelling  in  feats  of  strength  and  agility, 
and  was  classed  as  one  of  the  best  athletes  in  Ba- 
varia. He  was  also  an  expert  in  fencing,  both  with 
the  foils  and  with  broadsword.  These  gymnastic 
exercises  he  continued  until  late  in  life  and  in  his 
studio  could  always  be  seen  dumb-bells,  some  of 
50  pounds  in  weight,  which  he  handled  as  if  they 
were  toys,  his  foils,  and  huge  ^'Indian  clubs." 
With  these  the  iron  muscles  were  kept  in  perfect 
condition  to  perform  the  severe  labor  he  imposed 
on  himself  and  continued  unremittingly  to  the  last. 

He  was  very  fond  of  running  and  leaping  and 
had  a  good  record  in  both.  One  of  his  perform- 
ances in  this  line  was  to  go  ^4eap-frog''  over  seven 
men  standing  in  a  row  face  to  back  with  bent  heads 
only. 

He  also  studied  music  and  took  up  as  his  instru- 
ment the  flute,  which  he  played  well;  though  he 
often  expressed  regret  that  he  had  not  selected  the 
violin  or  'cello,  complaining  that  the  flute  was  too 
limited  in  its  capacities  and  admitted  of  so  little 
display  of  feeling.    He  played  the  organ ;  but  only 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.         5 

for  his  ^^ Chorals,"  of  which  he  was  very  fond, 
hymns,  or  in  improvising,  was  it  used,  though  for 
some  years  he  had  one  in  his  studio.  He  planned 
some  20  years  before  his  death  to  have  a  pipe  organ 
in  his  studio  and  began  to  make  it,  constructing 
several  stops  of  wooden  pipes,  but  this,  being  for 
himself,  was  never  finished. 


CHAPTEE  II. 

In  1848,  in  company  with  his  master  and  some 
other  friends  both  artistic  and  musical,  he  bade 
farewell  to  his  native  land  and  with  a  heart  full  of 
hopes  and  undefined  anticipations  he  set  out  for 
America,  coming  over  in  a  sailing  vessel  which 
required  10  weeks  to  make  the  trip.  During  the 
voyage  he  quite  astonished  the  sailors  by  his  ability 
to  go  aloft— anywhere  they  could— and,  as  the 
quarters  below  were  none  of  the  best,  he  spent  most 
of  his  days  on  deck  or  in  the  *Hop"  and  at  night 
slept  on  deck  with  the  anchor  chain  for  a  pillow. 

Nought  awaited  him  here  but  disappointment. 
He  found  at  that  time  little  knowledge  of  art,  no 
defined  public  taste,  and  a  people  who  seemed  to 
care  nothing  for  ideals.  The  whole  state  of  society 
was  indeed  foreign  to  him.  He  had  been  living  for 
many  years  an  idyllic  sort  of  life  in  a  quaint  Ger- 
man village,  his  master  and  the  group  of  pupils 
making  his  world,  the  gymnasium,  the  woods 
ramble,  and  the  evening  readings  at  the  master's 
house  supplying  the  recreation  from  study  and 
labor;  and  when  thrown  loose  on  the  rushing  tide 
of  American  life  his  sensitive  nature  was  shocked 
and  hurt  at  every  turn  and  he  found  himself  in 
entirely  unexpected  surroundings  and  was  as  a 
child  in  his  ability  to  meet  them. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.  7 

Another  painful  fact,  which  had  to  dawn  upon 
him  by  degrees,  was  that  he  was  no  painter.  Edu- 
cated as  a  steel  engraver,  he  had  all  materials  with 
the  point  in  full  subjugation— pen,  pencil,  crayon, 
graver,  but  not  the  brush.  This  was  a  difficulty 
with  which  he  had  a  life  struggle  and  to  which  some 
of  his  failures  are  doubtless  attributable,  and  was 
overcome  only  by  persistent  and  continued  effort. 

He  was  advised  during  his  first  months  in  this 
country  to  turn  his  attention  to  teaching,  and  he 
obtained  for  a  time  a  situation  in  a  young  ladies' 
seminary  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  although  his  knowledge 
of  the  language  was  very  inadequate  to  the  per- 
formance of  his  task. 

He  had  studied  English  before  leaving  Ger- 
many, and  knew  much  as  learned  from  books,  but 
found  he  had  nothing  practical  at  his  command 
when  he  landed  on  these  shores.  That  difficulty 
was  soon  mastered,  for  with  constant  study  and 
an  immediate  putting  in  practice  what  he  learned 
the  lack  of  an  avenue  of  expression  was  not  a  draw- 
back for  any  great  length  of  time. 

He  eventually  obtained  a  command  of  English 
equaled  by  few  even  of  those  born  and  educated 
in  this  country  and  exceeded  by  none  entirely  self 
taught. 

He  was  told  that  it  would  be  useless  to  make 
Christian  pictures,  that  they  would  find  no  sym- 
pathy or  sale;  so,  as  the  next  best  thing,  he 
attempted  as  his  first  important  painting  in  Amer- 
ica a  theme  from  ^^ Paradise  Lost,''  thinking  that 
the  English-speaking  people  must  have  sjnupathy 
with  their  own  classics.    It  was  called ' '  The  Lament 


8  A  VISION  REALIZED 

of  the  Fallen  Spirits''  and  was  founded  on  the  fol- 
lowing lines : 

"Others  more  mild. 
Retreated  to  a  silent  valley,  sing 
With  notes  angelical  to  many  a  harp 
Their  own  heroic  deeds  and  hapless  fall 
By  doom  of  battle ;  and  complain  that  fate 
Free  virtue  should  enthrall  to  force  or  chance 
Their  song  was  partial,  but  the  harmony — 
What  could  it  be  less  when  spirits  immortal  sing  ? 
Suspended  Hell  and  took  with  ravishment 
The  thronging  audience." 

It  was  a  weird,  original  composition,  full  of 
thought  and  careful  work,  but  it  was  poor  and 
hard  as  a  painting  and  as  a  whole  a  failure.  It 
was  exhibited  at  the  American  Art  Union  in  the 
early  months  of  1850. 

He  made  other  compositions  from  this  poem, 
*^The  Descent  of  the  Fallen  Spirits  into  Hell,"  a 
painting,  and  ''Satan  Falling  from  Heaven,"  a 
drawing. 

Within  a  year  after  his  arrival  in  America  his 
parents  and  two  brothers,  Frederick  and  George, 
followed  and  all  located  in  Newark,  N.  J. 

In  1851  he  married  Julia  Adelaide  Torrey, 
daughter  of  Asa  and  Mary  Sandford  Torrey,  of 
Newark,  the  one  woman,  it  would  seem,  in  all  the 
world  best  fitted  to  go  with  him  through  the  years 
of  struggle  which  followed ;  guiding,  cheering,  en- 
couraging, and  inspiring,  as  undaunted  in  the  face 
of  adversity  and  trial  as  himself,  with  a  depth  of 
feeling  and  true  appreciation  of  art  as  great  as 
his  own  and,  though  almost  entirely  self-educated, 
with  talents  both  artistic  and  literary  second  only 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.         9 

to  his.  The  part  she  had  in  his  work  and  her 
influence  on  all  that  he  did  can  not  be  over  esti- 
mated, and  truly  it  may  be  said  that  this  chronicle 
of  his  life  must  be  hers  as  well. 

Four  children  were  born  to  them,  Mary  Magda- 
lena,  November  10,  1852 ;  John  Frederick,  Novem- 
ber 3  (his  father's  birthday),  1856;  Samuel  Philip, 
November  28, 1859  (died  Dec.  11,  1859),  and  Theo- 
dore Eugene,  April  20, 1864. 

After  his  marriage  he  moved  to  Madison,  N.  J., 
the  home  of  his  wife's  parents,  built  a  studio,  and 
commenced  anew  to  study  in  Christian  Art  to 
which  his  life  w^as  pledged. 

A  composition,  a  finished  work  in  pencil,  ^^The 
Death  of  Saul"  (1  Sam.  31 :  3-6),  made  at  this  time 
shows  the  artist  working  with  the  conventional 
ideas  unbibed  in  the'  study  of  Kaulbach  and  the 
Munich  school;  still  it  is  full  of  fine  grouping  and 
harmonious  lines.  The  bodies  of  the  three  sons  of 
Saul  lying  together  are  most  skilfully  rendered, 
and  every  line  artistically  placed.  The  fomi  of 
the  giant  Saul,  pierced  by  the  sword,  stretches 
through  the  middle  of  the  picture,  at  his  feet  lies 
the  coi^pse  of  his  armor  bearer,  in  the  background 
the  battle  still  rages  around  the  falling  standard 
of  Israel,  and  in  the  sky  appears  the  shade  or  spirit 
of  Samuel  testifying  to  the  truth  of  the  prophecies 
he  had  uttered  in  regard  to  the  fate  of  Saul  and 
which  were  now  fulfilled.   (1  Sam.  28 :  19.) 

No  regular  record  of  works  produced  was  kept 
previous  to  1854,  and  what  became  of  this  drawing 
is  not  known,  but  in  later  years  the  same  subject 
was  done  in  color. 


10  A  VISION  REALIZED 

During  the  winter  of  1851-52  he  made  a  series 
of  designs  illustrating  the  redemption  of  mankind, 
which  he  set  before  him  as  his  life  work.  On  the 
ultimate  production  of  these  his  veiy  soul  was 
centered.  From  this  date  until  the  completion  of 
the  works— nearly  50  years— eveiy  effort  was  put 
forth  to  place  himself  in  position  to  enable  him 
to  undertake  them.  Every  move  was  made  with 
this  possible  end  in  view.  As  the  years  rolled  on 
and  plan  succeeded  plan  only  to  end  in  failure  it 
seemed  that  it  would  not  be  permitted,  and  there 
were  those  who  urged  him  to  abandon  art  entirely 
and  make  his  living  in  some  other  way. 

Through  it  all  he  never  flinched  or  quailed, 
always  was  his  gaze  upward  and  onw^ard.  When 
failure  of  a  plan  came  upon  him  he  was  still 
undaimted;  and,  instead  of  having  the  effect  of 
diminishing  his  enthusiasm  or  causing  him  to 
waver  in  his  purpose,  it  only  spurred  him  on  to 
renewed  efforts,  and  as  these  designs  were  taken 
as  his  life  work  so  the  story  of  his  life  is  the  story 
of  these  works— a  story  of  unremitting  effort  to 
attain  the  end  in  view,  a  devious  path  leading  over 
bowldered  hills,  over  many  a  sandy  waste  and 
treacherous  bog,  a  path  beset  by  many  dangers  and 
untold  difficulties,  where  the  foot  must  not  slip, 
the  eye  grow  dim,  nor  courage  fail.  And  yet  this 
path  he  trod,  his  step  finn,  his  eye  bright  and  clear, 
his  courage  unfaltering,  and  with  a  sublime  faith 
that  the  Almighty  God  in  whom  he  believed  and 
trusted  would  protect  and  guide  him  and  conduct 
him  to  the  haven  where  he  would  be. 

And  so  he  went  on,  giving  his  life  and  work  to 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.        1 1 

the  great  principle  of  bettering  the  conditions  of 
humanity,  helping  and  cheering  those  whom  he 
met  by  the  way,  relieving  the  distressed  wherever 
found,  soothing  the  unhappy,  giving  from  his 
slender  purse  to  those  in  need,  pointing  the  way 
to  Heaven  by  word,  deed,  and  work,  and  giving 
the  credit  and  glory  all  to  his  Divine  Lord  and 
Master  whom  he  served. 

He  looked  upon  these  designs  as  inspirations 
and  his  faith  was  firm  that  they  were  God-given 
and  that  the  time  would  come  when  he  would 
execute  them. 

His  plan  was  that  of  an  enthusiast  to  be  sure, 
and  the  practical  man  may  smile  at  it ;  but  it  was 
earnest  and  unselfish  at  least.  It  was  this:  He 
knew  there  was  no  hope  of  sale  for  pictures  of  this 
character  and  collossal  size,  so  he  determined  that 
he  would  make  them  by  his  own  exertions,  and  then 
he  believed  that  if  they  were  made  successfully 
some  one  could  be  found  to  put  up  a  proper  build- 
ing to  receive  them  and  that  he  would  make  them  a 
gift  as  a  nucleus  for  a  free  gallery,  hoping  thereby 
to  give  an  impetus  to  Christian  art  in  this  country. 

These  compositions  are  entitled : 

1.  ^^The  Dispensations  of  Promise  and  the 

Law." 

2.  ^^ The  Redeemer." 

3.  ^^The  Era  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 

4.  ^^The  Consummation  of  Redemption." 

In  the  case  of  the  first  one,  so  complicated  and 
full  of  figures  and  meaning,  he  had  been  reading 
the  Old  Testament  for  some  time  seeking  a  subject 


12  A  VISION  REALIZED 

comprising  10  or  12  figures,  but  finding  nothing  to 
suit  him,  until,  sitting  and  thinking  of  what  he  had 
read,  a  voice  seemed  to  say  audibly  to  him,  ''Why 
not  make  the  whole  Old  Testament  in  one  picture  T' 
—and  inmiediately  this  composition  rose  up  before 
him  in  its  entirety. 

After  he  had  secured  it  on  paper  in  charcoal 
scrawls  he  read  for  days  to  obtain  his  references 
and  authorities  but  found  no  reason  to  change  it 
in  the  slightest  particular. 

The  second  of  the  series,  ''The  Eedeemer,"  in 
the  same  remarkable  manner  stood  upon  the  bare 
white  wall  of  the  Methodist  church  during  the  ser- 
mon, at  which  place  the  small  band  of  Episcopa- 
lians in  Madison  at  that  time  held  their  services ;  so 
that  on  coming  home  he  was  able  to  note  it  down 
in  all  its  wonderful  completeness  of  logical  thought. 
On  returning  from  service  that  day  he  said  to  his 
wife,  "If  I  can  put  on  paper  what  I  have  seen  on 
the  wall  over  the  preacher's  head  just  now  I  shall 
have  one  of  the  greatest  compositions  ever  made  for 
its  terseness,  and  containing  so  much  in  a  few 
figures." 

The  other  two  followed  in  a  similar  way.  His 
mode  of  thinking  seemed  ever  to  be  a  bringing  out 
of  the  spiritual  and  hidden  truths  rather  than  a 
rendering  of  the  outside  of  things,  as  is  partic- 
ularly noticeable  in  this  series— and  in  all  his  better 
works. 

The  following  description  of  the  intention  of 
the  great  series  is  from  his  own  pen : 

"These  compositions  are  designed  to  delineate 
the  outlines  of  that  great  scheme  of  Redemption, 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        1 3 

which  God  has  been  carrying  on  since  the  Fall,  for 
the  recovery  of  ruined  man. 

''And  as  in  that  plan  Christ  is  the  central  object, 
toward  which  all  things  point  and  concentrate, 
and  in  which  at  last  all  things  are  completed  and 
consmnmated,  so  also  in  these  pictures  it  is  designed 
that  all  shall  point  to  Christ. 

''Christ  through  the  sin  of  man  became  needed 
and,  through  the  mercy  of  God,  promised  and 
typified  in  the  whole  ceremonial  law  and  worship: 
then  revealed,  fulfilling  the  promise  and  the  type, 
obtaining  for  man  the  conquest  over  sin,  Satan,  and 
death ;  then  ascended  to  His  mediatorial  throne  the 
possessor  of  all  power  in  Heaven  and  upon  earth, 
sending  forth  His  Word  and  His  Spirit  to  enlighten 
the  nations ;  then  glorified  in  the  final  and  complete 
separation  of  the  evil  and  the  good,  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  evil,  and  the  gathering  together  and 
perfecting  of  His  redeemed  in  His  heavenly  and 
eternal  Kingdom. 

"Each  picture  is  distinct  in  itself'  and  yet  each 
one  supplements  all  the  others. 

"They  are  designed  to  illustrate  and  make  con- 
spicuous the  unity  of  all  God's  dealings  with  man; 
the  grand  harmony  of  His  plan  of  redemption  in  its 
peculiar  development,  from  the  suggestive  outlines 
drawn  in  the  first  promise  made  after  the  Fall 
(Genesis  3:15)  until  the  triumphant  consumma- 
tion in  eternal  glory;  pointing,  from  Genesis  to 
Eevelation,  continually  and  only  to  Christ,  the 
Lord  Jehovah  and  Saviour  of  man." 


14  A  VISION  REALIZED 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  SERIES. 
1.    The  Dispensations  of  Promise  and  the  Law. 

In  this  composition  there  are  three  points 
prominent,  namely,  Sin,  Prophecy,  and  Typical 
Sacrifice. 

They  are  devoloped  from  a  center,  and  carried 
in  streams  of  figures  and  groups  to  the  foreground, 
or  near  it. 

The  center  is  Moses,  from  whom  Prophecy 
stretches  to  the  left;  Typical  Sacrifice,  in  a  semi- 
circle to  the  right;  while  Sin  and  its  punishment 
occupies  the  middle  from  the  altar  to  the  imme- 
diate foreground. 

Besides  there  is  an  upper  part  to  the  picture,  in 
the  clouds,  dividing  the  time  of  simple  promise 
from  the  time  of  the  law. 

The  Shekinah  of  God's  Glory,'  surrounded  by 
angelic  heads,  is  the  true  center  and  the  light  of 
the  picture.  Jehovah's  presence  was  the  life  and 
the  light  of  the  Old  Dispensation. 

The  fall  of  man  in  Eden,  and  the  sentence  of 
sin  drew  from  the  mercy  of  God  the  promise  of  a 
Saviour,  which  promise  expanded  subsequently 
into  prophecy  and  found  visible  expression  in  the 
divinely  appointed  sacrifices  of  the  Mosaic  dis- 
pensation. Under  these  three  heads  the  whole  Old 
Testament  ecclesiastically  is  comprised. 

The  old  dispensation  was  a  preparation  for  the 
new,  and  foreshadowed  it.  In  this  manner,  also, 
the  composition  is  treated.    It  embraces  the  4,000 

^Ex.  13:  21;   14:  19-20,  24;  40:  34-38.     Numb.  9:  15-23;    10:  34;    14: 
14.    Deut.  1:  33.    Ps.  78:  14;  99:  7;   105:  39.     Is.  4:5,  6. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.        1 5 

years  before  Christ  as  a  time  of  prophecy,  of  types, 
and  of  figures.  It  makes  use  of  the  cardinal  facts 
of  the  ecclesiastical  history  of  that  period,  so  far 
as  they  relate  to  the  coming  of  the  Deliverer  and 
the  great  sacrifice  for  sin  to  be  accomplished  by 
Him.  The  justice  and  the  mercy  of  God  are  in  it 
united. 

The  angels  on  either  side  of  the  Shekinah  first 
show  these.  Upon  the  side  of  the  law,  the  flaming 
sword  does  its  full  work  upon  the  daring  sinners ' ; 
but  where  the  smoke  of  sacrifice  ascends  acceptably 
to  the  Lord,  though  the  law  is  still  in  force,  the 
sword  lowered  signifies  that  God  is  just  and  yet 
can  be  ''the  justifier  of  him  that  believeth." 

But  while  punishment  overtakes  the  transgres- 
sors of  God's  holy  law,  salvation  is  also  provided 
to  them  who  in  faith  will  avail  themselves  of  the 
means  of  God's  own  appointing ;  and  whereas  death 
entered  into  the  world  by  reason  of  sin,  promise' 
extended  to  fallen  man  even  while  he  was  judged, 
opened  to  his  faith  a  vision  of  the  Redeemer.  Of 
this  Adam  and  Eve,  on  the  left  of  the  Shekinah, 
remind  us,  and  the  sacred  line  behind  these,  with 
Abel,  the  first  eminent  type  of  Christ's  sacrifice, 
leading.  Next  to  these  is  Enoch,*  in  his  translation 
without  seeing  death,  the  type  and  pledge  of 
Christ's  triumph  over  death  and  the  grave.  Beside 
him  sits  Noah '  and  his  three  sons,  saved  by  faith 
from  the  over^vhelming  flood,  typifying  the  salva- 
tion of  the  redeemed  in  Christ,  ^Hhe  like  figure 

2  Cor.    10:  10.     2   Sam.  24:  16.      1         ^  Gen.  3:  15. 
Chron.  21:  16.    2  Kings  19:  35.    Acts        *  Gen.  5:  21-23.     Heb.  11:5. 
12:23.  »Gen.  7:7,  13:  8:18.  Heb.  11:7. 


16  A  VISION  REALIZED 

whereunto,  even  baptism'  doth  also  now  save  us, 
by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ. ' ' 

On  the  right  are  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob 
and  his  sons,  patriarchs  of  the  12  tribes,  Joseph, 
the  feeder  of  his  brethren,  and  Benjamin,  and 
Judah,  the  progenitor  of  our  Lord,  being  promi- 
nent. With  Abraham  was  the  covenant'  estab- 
lished; Avith  him  the  visible  church  began.  The 
^'Father  of  the  Faithful"'  invokes  the  blessing  of 
God  [El  Shaddai]  upon  his  children. 

These,  represented  in  the  clouds,  belong  to  the 
Dispensation  of  Promise. 

The  Dispensation  of  the  Law  occupies  the  lower 
and  larger  space.  Moses,  the  giver  of  the  law, 
stands  prominent  upon  the  steps  of  the  temple. 
The  shadowy  promise  now  expands  into  prophecy, 
which  develops  as  centuries  advance,  until  it  spoke 
in  clear,  explicit  language  of  the  ^^Man  of  Sor- 
rows" treading  the  winevat  alone,  bearing  our 
iniquity  and  transgression.'  That  which  in  the 
prophetic  line  is  foretold  is  t}T3ified  by  the  sac- 
rifices to  the  right  of  Moses,  and  thus  these  two 
sides  correspond  in  prophetic  expression  as  also 
they  form  a  continuous  stream  of  figures. 

Prophet  himself,"  Moses  gave  his  name  to  the 
dispensation  which  began  with  him.  Though  the 
great  deliverer  of  Israel  from  Eg}^pt,  he  could  not 
bring  them  within  the  borders  of  the  promised 
land.  This  was  accomplished  by  the  typical  Jesus, 
(Joshua,)  his  successor,"  the  warrior  before  whom 

•  1  Peter  3:  20-21.  « Isaiah  53. 

'Gen.  15:  1-18;   17:  1-14.  ^^  Deut.   18:  15,   18,   19. 

•John  8:  39.     Heb.  11 :  8,  9,  10.  "Deut.  31:23.    Josh.  1 :  2-9. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        1 7 

fell  the  enemies  of  the  chosen  people,  and  who 
divided  to  them  their  inheritance.  Next  him,  the 
head  only  visible,  is  Samson,  type  of  the  strong 
deliverer,  even  in  his  death  vanquishing;"  then 
Samuel,''  prophet  and  judge;  the  line  of  judges, 
Baruch,  Deborah,  Jeptha,  being  visible;  then 
David,  the  sweet  Psalmist  and  poet  king  of  Israel, 
progenitor  of  the  Messiah ; "  then  Solomon,  the  wise 
and  opulent,  reigning  in  peace  and  prosperity; 
type  of  the  King  of  Peace  (Note  A),  whose  blessed 
dominion  should  extend  to  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
to  endure  forever  and  ever.  Somewhat  isolated,  as 
the  mighty,  'zealous  prophet  was  in  the  period  of 
Jewish  history  to  which  he  belongs,  stands  Elijah," 
like  Enoch  of  the  preceding  generation  (directly 
above  him) ,  a  type  and  pledge  of  the  conquest  yet 
to  be  given  over  death,  of  life  and  immortality  to 
be  brought  to  light.  Over  his  shoulder  looks 
Elisha,"  laying  hold  upon  the  mantle  of  Elijah,  by 
importunate  faith  obtaining  a  double  portion  of 
his  prophetic  spirit. 

Beneath  and  more  in  the  foreground  are  the 
prophets  of  a  later  period.  On  the  right  sits 
Micah,"  pointing  to  David,  whose  birthplace  should 
also  be  that  of  the  coming  Saviour;  next  to  him, 
seated  upon  a  fragment  of  ruin,  Jeremiah "  is 
bewailing  the  sin  and  captivity  of  his  people,  and 
the  widespread  desolation  of  Zion.  Inmiediately 
above  him,  Isaiah,"  the  evangelical  prophet,  is  fore- 
telling, in  lofty  visions,  and  sublime,  rapturous 

"Judges  16:  30.  "2  Kings  2:  13;  2:  9-10. 

"  1  Samuel  2 :  35.  "  Micah  5:1. 

"^*  Isaiah  11:  1.  "Lam.  1:  1-3. 

"2  Kings  2:  11.  "Isaiah  53;  60:  6;  52:  13-15. 


18  A  VISION  REALIZED 

strains,  with  historic  minuteness  and  fidelity,  the 
atoning  death  of  the  Messiah,  and  the  glory  which 
should  follow;  a  prophecy  which  could  be  recon- 
ciled and  explained  only  in  its  fulfillment.  Then 
Daniel,  proclaiming  the  exact  period  of  the  Mes- 
siah's coming,'"  his  death  and  the  subsequent  en- 
largement of  His  Kingdom,  ^^till  the  kingdom  and 
dominion  and  greatness  of  the  kingdom  under  the 
whole  Heaven,  shall  be  given  to  the  Saints  of  the 
Most  High,  whose  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  king- 
dom, and  all  dominions  shall  serve  and  obey 
Him."''  Next  to  him  is  Ezekiel,  distinguished  by 
his  measuring-rod  as  he  who  so  minutely  described 
the  spiritual  temple"  to  come,  filled  by  the  glory 
of  the  Lord,  and  His  abiding  place  for  ever ;  then 
Nehemiah  and  Ezra,  intent  upon  their  plans  for 
the  rebuilding  of  Jerusalem,  in  their  looking  away 
to  the  future,  seeming  to  catch  with  the  prophets  a 
glimpse  of  the  glory  which  should  cover  the  second 
temple,  through  the  coming  of  the  Holy  One."  In 
the  background  are  seen  the  prophets  of  lesser 
note. 

To  the  right  of  Moses  is  depicted  the  ceremonial 
worship  of  the  church,  a  worship  chiefly  embodied 
in  sacrifice,  which,  like  prophecy,  pointed  onward 
to  the  future,  being  the  '^shadow  of  things  to  come'' 
of  the  Divine  Sacrifice  yet  to  be  accomplished. 

The  Holy  Place  of  the  Temple  opens  to  view, 
with  its  golden  candlestick ''  and  the  golden  table  " 
containing  the  shewbread,  being  seen.  The  curtain 
of  the  Holy  of  Holies  is  shrouded  by  a  flood  of 

20  Daniel  9:  26-27.  "Ezekiel  43:  7.  "Exodus  25:  31-40. 

"  Daniel  7  :  27.  "  Haggai  2 :  1-9.  "  Exodus  25 :  23-30. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        19 

light  from  the  Shekinah;  but  without  stands 
Aaron/'  the  high-priest,  his  hands  upon  the  head 
of  the  scape-goat,  while  making  confession  of  his 
own  sins  and  the  sins  of  the  people.  Thus  the 
Annual  Sacrifice,  or  the  great  Day  of  Atonement, 
is  represented.  The  Daily  Sacrifice,"  offered  each 
morning  and  evening,  is  shown  in  the  smoking 
altar,  with  the  officiating  priest  pouring  out  the 
victim's  blood  at  the  foot  of  it,  the  smoke  rising  up 
as  a  sweet-smelling  savor  unto  the  Lord,  accepted 
through  faith  and  obedience. 

Offering  of  First  Fruits.— To  the  right  is  seen 
the  high-priest  pronouncing  the  blessing"  of 
Jehovah  over  the  faithful,  who  are  thronging  up  to 
the  temple  with  their  votive  offerings  from  the  rich 
store  of  Jehovah's  bountiful  blessings.  The  first 
fruif  of  every  thing  was  holy  to  the  Lord  and 
His  portion;  the  first  born  male  child  had  to  be 
redeemed  by  a  pair  of  turtle  doves,  offered  instead. 
The  firstlings  of  the  flock,  the  vineyard,  the  field, 
must  be  given  into  the  Lord's  treasury.  Thus  was 
prefigured  the  Divine  First  Born,  whom  the 
Father,  His  greatest  blessing,  gave  in  infinite  com- 
pasion  for  the  Sins  of  man. 

Sin  Offering.— Below  the  Altar  steps,  with 
contrite  posture  and  humble  petition,  approaches 
a  group  of  penitents.'"  Absorbed  and  solemn 
they  come,  each  conscious  of  individual  unworthi- 
ness.  Among  them,  the  harlot,  and  the  prince,  on 
a  level  here  as  alike  sinners,  and  alike  needing 

"Lev.  16.  "Exodus  29:  38-46.         ^^Numb.   6:  23-27. 

"Exodus   13;    22:29-30;    23:19;    34:26.     Lev.  23:10-11.     Deut.   26. 
Lev.  12.  ^°  Lev.  4.    Lev.  5. 


20  A  VISION  REALIZED 

remission,  are  seen  with  their  prescribed  sacrifices, 
and  the  old  woman  and  man  bent  and  hoary  with 
years,  form  the  contrast  of  far  greater  burden  of 
soul  with  the  child,  carrying  for  them  their  sacrifice 
of  turtle  doves. 

Thank-offering.— Prominently  conspicuous  in 
the  right  foreground  is  a  rich  family  group,  with 
festive  array  of  flowers,  and  palm  and  olive 
branches,  rejoicingly  entering  the  courts  of  the 
Lord  with  their  many  thank-offerings''  This 
group  illustrates  the  joyful,  sanctifying  influences 
of  true  religion,  even  under  the  dimmer  light  of  the 
Old  Dispensation,  and  the  abounding  prosperity" 
with  which  God  rewarded  His  faithful  wor- 
shippers. Mark  the  serene  aspect  of  the  parents,  the 
father,  the  priest  and  the  proi3het  of  the  family, 
(upon  whose  forehead  we  observe  the  phylactery" 
with  its  inscribed  Scripture  texts,)  pointing 
out  to  his  sons  the  deserved  punishment  of  Sin, 
according  to  the  Law,  and  also  speaking  of  the 
heavenly  glory  and  blessedness  awaiting  the  right- 
eous"; the  mother  with  matronly  grace  and  love 
watching  over  her  daughters.  How  beautifully 
does  the  little  child,  shrinking  away  from  the  un- 
wonted aspect  of  sin  and  its  penalty,  suggest  to  us 
childhood's  innocence,  nurtured  and  developed 
under  the  fostering  influence  of  sanctified  parental 
love.  The  whole  group  reminds  us  of  God's  word 
to  His  prophet,  **Say  ye  to  the  righteous  it  shall  be 
well  with  him;  for  they  shall  eat  of  the  fruit  of 
their  own  doings ; ' '  and  again, ' '  From  the  uttermost 

"Lev.  3;  7:  9-34;  2.  "Exodus  13:  16.     Numb.  15:  38-41. 

"Lev.  26:  1-13.     Deut.  28:  1-14.     "  Deut.  6:  6-9. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        21 

parts  of  the  earth  have  we  heard  songs,  even  glory 
to  the  righteous. ' ' 

But  in  painful  contrast  we  behold  in  the  middle 
of  the  composition  the  delineation  of  Sin  as  the 
the  transgression  of  the  Law,  and  its  dread  punish- 
ment. The  justice  of  God  to  unrepented,  and  there- 
fore unf orgiven.  Sin,  is  here  set  forth.  ^  ^  I  the  Lord 
thy  God  am  a  jealous  God,  visiting  the  iniquity  of 
the  fathers  upon  the  children,  unto  the  third  and 
fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate  me."  The 
signal  punishment  of  the  Law,  beginning  at  the 
very  Altar,  and  with  the  sons  of  the  high  priest, 
Nadab  and  Abihu,"  presumptuously  offering 
before  the  Lord  in  their  censers  unhallowed  flame, 
are  here  depicted  at  the  moment  of  their  destruc- 
tion by  the  descending  fire  of  God's  vengeance.  A 
few  incidents  from  Jewish  history  illustrate 
further  the  reward  of  Sin :  the  murmuring  Israel- 
ite' stung  by  the  jiery  serpent;  the  stoned  blas- 
phemer;^' the  famishing  mother;'''  blindness  and 
raving  madness/'  the  curses  so  fearfully  pro- 
nounced by  Moses  against  the  disobedient. 
Around  the  crumbling  idol  altar,"  built  in  the 
very  courts  of  the  Lord's  house,  now  defiled  by 
burning  human  bones,  a  fierce  group  of  scoffers 
cling  and  vainly  seek  refuge  from  the  wrath  of  an 
offended  God.  More  in  the  foreground  the  dead 
bodies  of  other  idolatrous  Jews"  are  flung  across 
the  shattered  images  in  which  they  trusted." 

"Leviticus  10:  1,  2.  «  1  Kings  13:  1-3.     2  Kings  23. 

"Numb.   21:  1-9.  2  Chron.  34. 

"Lev.  24:  10-16.  "Lev.  26:  30. 

"Lev.  26:  26.     Deut.  28:  38-40.  «  Deut.  28:  26. 
"  Deut.  28 :  28,  29,  35. 


22  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Dagon  (Note  B),  the  fish-god  of  the  Phil- 
istines ; 

"Moloch  (Note  C),  horrid  king,  besmeared  with  blood 
Of  human  sacrifice  and  parents'  tears; 
Though,  for  the  noise  of  drums  and  timbrels  loud. 
Their  children's  cries  unheard,  that  passed  through  fire 
To  his  grim  idol ;" 

and  Baal  (Note  D),  the  Sun-God,  and  Ashtaroth, 
the  deity  of  the  moon,  are  selected  to  represent  the 
idol  worship  of  the  Jews.  A  group  of  captives 
closes  the  scene  of  deserved  desolation,  but  not 
without  an  intimation  of  hope  in  the  promise  yet 
to  be  fulfilled,  betokened  by  the  child  touching  the 
harp  of  sacred  song  in  glad  anticipation,  even  while 
the  parents  despair;  Aaron's  iudding  rod" 
signifying  the  priesthood  and  dominion  not  yet 
departed  from  Israel,  which  would  yet  see  restora- 
tion, and  that  the  voice  of  weeping  be  again  ex- 
changed for  ^thanksgiving  and  the  voice  of 
melody ;''  and  the  boy  holding  the  scroll  of  the  Law 
still  unfilled  as  touching  Him  that  should  come  to 
be  its  perfect  accomplishment. 

The  hope  of  the  captives  is  thus  joined  to 
prophecy**  in  looking  beyond  for  the  coming  of  that 
Saviour,  who  had  been  the  burden  of  all  of  God's 
promises,  and  of  the  Law  and  the  ceremony. 

Thus  we  see  foreshadowed  in  this  composition 
Christ,  the  Messiah,  the  true  sacrifice  for  Sin,  the 
**Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,'' 
the  *' Prince  of  Peace  and  Lord  our  Righteous- 
ness," whose  appearing  for  man's  salvation  forms 

"  Numbers  17. 

"Jeremiah  25:  11.     Leviticus  26:  40-45.     Jeremiah  29:  11-14. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       23 

the  grand  theme  of  all  the  sacred  writings,  His 
Divine  Person  the  fulcrum  of  man's  history.  The 
Spirit  of  the  Old  Testament  Dispensations  is  thus 
exhibited  in  these  three  points,  into  which  the  pic- 
ture naturally  divides,  namely : 

Sin,  which  drew  down  upon  offending  man  the 
justice  of  a  holy  God ; 

The  Promise,  or  prophecy,  of  a  Saviour,  which 
the  mercy  of  God  extended  to  man ;  and 

Typical  Sacrifice,  also  a  prophecy  and  pledge  of 
the  coming  Redeemer. 

Like  the  Old  Dispensation  itself,  the  sentiment 
of  the  composition  breaks  off  unfinished.  Every 
thing  indicates  the  incompleteness  of  the  present. 
As  yet  faith  looks  forward  with  yearning  desire  for 
the  Consolation  of  Israel;  the  blood  of  sheep  and 
goats  could  not  take  away  sin;  redemption  could 
only  be  accomplished  by  the  Son,  whom  the  Father 
would  send,  and  in  Him  the  Promise,  the  Law,  and 
the  Sacrifice,  would  be  fulfilled. 


NOTES. 

Note  A. — Solomon,  or  "Shelomah'"  (Hebrew),  is  identical  in  mean- 
ing with  '^Friedrich"  (Frederick),  i,  e.,  great,  or  rich,  in  peace,  or  a 
king  of  peace. 

Note  B. — Dagon,  the  national  God  of  the  Philistines.  He  was  rep- 
resented with  the  face  and  hands  and  body  of  a  man  or  woman,  and  the 
tail  of  a  fish.  1  Samuel  5 :  5.  The  fish-like  form  was  a  natural  emblem 
of  fruitfulness.  Judges  16:  21-30.  1  Samuel  5:6.  1  Chronicles  10:  10. 
The  Philistines  dwelled  on  the  seashore.  The  wars  between  them  and  the 
Israelites  were  frequent,  and  these  suffered  terribly  at  their  hands.  The 
prediction  of  Moses  ( Deut.  28 :  25 ) ,  "The  Lord  shall  cause  them  to  be 
smitten  before  thine  enemies,"  found  its  literal  fulfilment  in  these  wars. 

Note  C. — Moloch,  or  Molech,  the  fireking,  the  tutelary  deity  of  the 
children  of  Ammon.  Among  the  rites  with  which  this  God  was  wor- 
shipped were  human  sacrifices,  purifications,  and  ordeals  by  fire,  devoting 
of  the  firstborn,  mutilation,  and  vows  of  perpetual  celibacy  and  virginity. 
Psalms  106:  37-38.  Jeremiah  7:  31.  2  Chronicles  28:  3.  According  to 
Jewish  authority,  "This  image  of  Molech  was  made  of  brass,  hollow 


24  A  VISION  REALIZED 

within,  and  was  situated  without  Jerusalem.  His  face  was  that  of  a 
calf,  and  his  hands  stretched  forth  like  a  man's  who  opens  his  hands  to 
receive  something.  And  they  kindled  it  with  fire,  and  the  priests  took 
the  babe  and  put  it  into  the  hands  of  Molech,  and  the  babe  gave  up  the 
ghost.  And  why  was  it  called  Tophet  or  Hinnom?  Because  they  used 
to  make  a  noise  with  drums,  (tophim,)  that  the  father  might  not  hear 
the  cry  of  his  child  and  have  pity  on  him,  and  return  to  him.  Hinnom, 
because  the  babe  wailed  and  the  noise  of  his  wailing  went  up." 

Note  D. — Baal,  the  supreme  male  divinity  of  the  Phoenicians  and 
Canaanitish  nations,  as  Ashtaroth  was  their  supreme  female  divinity. 
Numb.  25:  3  sqq;  Deut.  4:  3;  Judges  2:  10-13;  1  Samuel  7:  4;  1  Kings 
16:  31-33;  18:  19-22;  2  Kings  16:  3.  Baal  means  master,  owner,  pos- 
sessor. Under  his  image,  and  that  of  Ashtaroth,  the  sun  and  moon 
were  worshipped.  Baal  had  numerous  priests,  1  Kings  18:  19;  and  it  is 
a  priest  that  in  the  composition  embraces  this  idol  under  the  shield  the 
young  warror  stretches  protectingly  over  him  against  the  smiting  angel. 

REMARKS 

The  limits  and  character  of  a  composition  like 
this  dictate  the  necessity  of  omitting  all  that  is  not 
strictly  essential  for  a  lucid,  logical  representation 
of  the  fundamental  idea.  Hence  it  can  lay  no  claim 
to  historic  minuteness,  and  embracing  even  every 
person  and  feature  which  has  a  direct  bearing  upon 
the  main  thought  it  endeavors  to  illustrate.  It  is 
by  nature  suggestive ;  and  on  the  other  hand  must 
confine  itself  to  that  which  is  capable  of  pictorial 
rendering.  In  regard  to  the  sacrifices,  for  instance, 
there  would  be,  theologically,  more  heads  and  divi- 
sions than  the  three  of  first  fruits,  sin  offering,  and 
thank  offering,  beside  the  annual  atonement  and  the 
daily  sacrifice.  There  would  be  the  Paschal  Lamb, 
burnt  offering,  trespass  offering,  etc.,  but  they 
could  not  be  pictorially  distinguished.  So  there 
were  signal  punishments  of  sin,  like  that  of  Korah 
and  his  people,  and  acknowledged  typical  persons, 
like  that  of  Jonah,  which  found  no  space  in  the 
composition. 

The  spirit  and  design  of  Old  Testament  litera- 


THE  REDEEMER 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        25 

ture,  having  the  character  of  unity  and  singleness 
of  purpose  and  aim,  has  been  held  in  view  by  the 
author  of  this  picture.  It  teaches  the  universal  sin- 
fulness of  man,  the  penalty  of  sin,  and  its  remedy. 
It  was  the  development,  by  successive  revelations, 
of  a  plan  for  man's  redemption,  which  has  its 
center  in  Christ,  the  Messiah  of  the  Old  Dispensa- 
tion. As  an  epitome  of  this  plan,  so  far  as  the  Old 
Testament  history  is  concerned,  the  composition 
stands;  a  suggestive  outline  of  the  grand  general 
proportions,  easily  filled  up  by  the  diligent  Bible 
student  when  once  securely  comprehended. 

May  it  please  God  to  use  it  as  an  incentive  to 
closer  study  of  the  pages  of  His  holy  Word,  and  as 
a  means  of  instruction  in  the  truths  which  concern 
every  soul,  leading  the  guilty  to  that  Great  Sacri- 
fice, the  ''Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the  sins 
of  the  world." 

2.   ''The  Redeemer" 

By  J.  A.  0. 

With  so  simple  a  composition  and  all  the  parts 
and  action  so  obvious  an  explanation  is  hardly 
necessary,  both  the  figures  and  their  interrelation 
being  of  common  experience. 

There  are  three  factors :  (1)  The  Saviour,  divine 
"High  priest  of  our  profession";  (2)  Man,  repre- 
sentative of  our  race;  (3)  The  united  trio,  Satan, 
Sin,  and  Death,  man's  enemies. 

A  belt  of  clouds,  typifying  earth,  divides  be- 
tween light  and  darkness,  heaven  and  hell. 

During  probation,  connection  of  man  with  sin 
still  exists,  the  possibility  of  yielding  to  temptation 


26  A  VISION  REALIZED 

and  falling  with  his  enemies ;  the  power  of  Christ 
and  man 's  affections  turned  to  Him,  keep  up  man, 
clothed  now^  in  purity,  the  rags  of  self -righteousness 
dropping  off. 

Satan  is  a  malicious  but  conquered  enemy, 
allowed  only  wiles  and  deceit  as  means  of  ruin,  the 
foot  of  the  Crucified  on  his  head  and  arm  checking 
his  assault. 

Death  is  here  the  spiritual  reward  of  sin  rather 
than  the  separation  of  soul  and  body. 

The  outlines  of  all  the  figures,  their  relation  to 
one  another,  the  colors  employed;  the  several  em- 
blems, the  symbol  of  our  redemption  behind  Christ ; 
the  serpent  tying  the  infernal  trio  into  one;  the 
chain  on  Satan's  feet;  ^^Death's  sting"— are  used 
as  sign  language  for  the  expression  of  essential 
truths  in  the  story  of  man's  redemption  by  Christ 
and  man's  position  toward  his  Saviour  and  his 
enemies  from  day  to  day. 

3.   ^*The  Dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spikit" 
the  new  testament  church  idea. 

This  composition  is  the  keynote  to  the  entire 
series  of  four,  including  the  still  prophetic  part  of 
the  grand  plan,  ^^The  Consunmiation  of  Redemp- 
tion". That  work  sets  forth  the  three  main  divi- 
sions governing  the  Church  idea. 

First.    Its  origin. 

Second.  Its  constitution  and  missionary  char- 
acter. 

Third.    Its  works  as  fruits  of  the  faith. 

The  divine  origin  of  the  New  Testament  Church 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.        27 

is  shown  in  the  upper  part  of  the  picture.  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  Founder,  His  apostles  the  first  instru- 
ments for  its  propagation. 

The  divinity  of  the  Christ  is  emphasized  by  His 
position  on  the  throne  of  glory  and  power ;  by  the 
adoration  of  the  angel  host,  Seraphim  and  Cheru- 
bim; and  by  His  present  office  as  ruler  of  the 
universe  and  High  Priest  of  His  people. 

The  apostles  and  evangelists  go  out  from  Him 
—to  Jews  on  the  right  and  to  Gentiles  on  the  left— 
inspired  men  and  commissioned  by  His  authority. 
They  are  the  founders  of  the  Church. 

This  Church  in  its  essential  features  is  below 
them.  In  it  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  presiding  and 
ruling  Deity. 

The  division  of  clouds  under  the  apostles  is  here 
taken  away,  for  though  absent  Christ  is  yet  ever 
present  wdth  His  Church.  ^^Lo,  I  am  with  you 
alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

Now  from  the  first  the  Church  has  always  con- 
sisted of  three  essential  parts : 

First.  The  Faith,  contained  in  the  inspired 
Word  of  God,  the  Holy  Bible,  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments, upon  the  altar. 

Second.  The  lawful  ministry  in  threefold 
order,  bishops,  priests,  and  deacons. 

Third.  The  sacraments  as  means  of  grace ;  bap- 
tism and  its  complement  confirmation;  and  the 
Holy  Eucharist. 

This  church  had  commission  to  go  ^4nto  all  the 
world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature"; 
hence  representatives  of  all  the  principal  races  of 


28  A  VISION  REALIZED 

mankind  are  introduced  as  hearing  the  message  of 
^^ Christ  Crucified." 

But  that  faith  is  evidenced  in  works,  the  legiti- 
mate fruits  of  its  divine  regenerating  power,  and  so 
the  foreground  is  occupied  by  works  of  mercy  and 
ministrations  to  the  poor,  the  orphan,  sick,  and  the 
fallen.  Good  works  are  the  outgrowth  of  a  living 
faith,  organized  by  the  Church  and  partaken  in  by 
all  her  members,  official  and  lay. 

But  at  all  times  from  the  first  there  have  been  in 
the  Church  the  enemies  of  Christ,  as  is  evident  from 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  and  the  epistles,  and  so 
they  could  not  be  left  out  in  the  picture  of  a  Dispen- 
sation ^^ still  militant."  They  turn  their  back  on 
the  Christ  and  scorn  His  Cross.  False,  destructive 
philosophy  and  learning,  pride  of  intellect,  blas- 
phemy, wanton  pleasure,  the  mad  rush  for  gold  and 
honor,  hatred  and  violence,  all  especially  active  in 
our  days. 

In  a  composition  dealing  with  so  comprehensive 
a  subject,  as  nothing  must  be  introduced  not  strictly 
relevant  to  the  main  idea  to  its  confusing  and  over- 
loading, so  nothing  should  be  omitted  that  can— 
within  certain  limits  dictated  by  a  rigid  adherence 
to  sound  logic— illustrate  this  idea. 

In  conformity  to  this  rule,  in  all  the  upper  and 
central  parts,  colors  are  used  for  their  symbolic 
meaning,  red  for  love  and  ardor,  yellow  for  divin- 
ity, blue  for  truth;  and  they  are  so  distributed 
as  to  convey  to  each  part  of  it  its  specific 
signification. 

The  angelic  ministration  is  also  extended  from 
the  clouds  into  the  Church  below ;  the  adoration  of 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.       29 

the  Divine  Spirit;  the  ''Prince  of  thy  people" 
(Dan)  St.  Michael,  that  does  battle  for  the  Church 
on  the  side  where  ''Soldiers  of  Christ''  are  enrolled 
in  Holy  Baptism  and  their  new  name  inscribed  in 
the  Book  of  Life. 

On  the  other  side  the  archangel  Gabriel,  with 
his  symbol,  the  Incarnation  Lily,  where  the  "God 
Man ' '  in  the  Eucharist  is  given  to  the  faithful  in  the 
consecrated  Bread  and  Wine ;  hands  in  blessing  ex- 
tended by  angels  over  the  believers,  and  the  palm 
of  victory. 

It  should  be  kept  in  mind  that  art  is  a  language 
capable  of  expressing  thoughts  and  sentiments  by 
form,  color,  and  action.  By  these  the  artist  has  a 
wide  field  whither  he"  invites  to  follow  him  stu- 
diously, taking  for  granted  there  was  a  sufficient 
reason,  in  his  mind  at  least,  for  choosing  what 
is  seen  on  the  canvass  in  the  order,  number, 
and  connection  best  suited  to  depict  the  subject 
undertaken. 

4.   "The  Consummation  of  Redemption  or 
THE  Triumph  of  Christianity." 

LAST  OF  THE  SERIES— EXPLANATION  BY  J.  A.  0. 

"Known  unto  God  are  all  His  works  from  the 
beginning  of  the  world,"  is  the  declaration  of  St. 
James  (Acts  15: 18).  Therefore  the  Plan  of  God 
for  the  Eedemption  of  man  is  and  must  be 
conceived  of  by  us  as  an  absolute  unit.  God's 
revelation  to  man  was  made  in  three  successive 
dispensations,  each  of  them  during  two  divine 
working  days  of  a  thousand  years  each  ag  fore- 


30  A  VISION  REALIZED 

shadowed  in  the  six  days  of  the  world's  creation 
(Gen.  1:  31),  and  on  the  seventh  day  God  endeth 
His  work  which  he  hath  made  (Gen.  2:2). 

In  this  series  of  paintings  we  have  now  come  to 
the  beginning  of  this  ^^ seventh  day."  During  the 
three  dispensations  of  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Spirit  there  has  been  carried  on,  by  successive 
revelations,  the  work  of  God  for  the  redemption  of 
the  human  race.  When,  in  God's  foreknowledge, 
the  time  is  fulfilled  of  the  completion  of  this  work, 
this  third  period,  the  Dispensation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  will  be  closed  by  the  coming  again  of  Christ 
to  judgment,  when  the  great  sabbath,  the  seventh 
day  of  rest  and  the  reign  of  Christ  on  earth,  is  to 
begin. 

In  this  series  of  paintings  the  conflict  of  Good 
wdth  Evil  and  the  final  triumph  of  Good  is  repre- 
sented. 

In  the  first  and  third,  during  Old  and  New 
Testament  times,  that  conflict  respecting  mankind ; 
in  the  second  the  same  conflict  in  each  individual  of 
mankind. 

The  fourth  picture  then  is  the  victory  of  Good, 
of  Christ  and  His  Church,  over  Evil.  Good  and 
Evil  are  here  represented  and  the  God  is  trium- 
phant over  the  Evil.  During  all  these  six  thou- 
sand years  since  Adam  and  the  Fall,  the  six 
working  days  of  God  for  man's  redemption, 
Good  and  Evil  in  conflict  were  to  human  eyes 
as  it  were  mixed  though  radical  opposites.  Now  at 
the  last  they  are  positively  separate,  in  two  separate 
hosts. 

The  visible  triumph  of  Good  has  come,  Christ, 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.       31 

and  through  and  with  Him  His  Saints  are  vic- 
torious. 

The  basis  for  this  painting  is  the  nineteenth 
chapter  of  Eevelation,  from  the  eleventh  verse. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A  large  cartoon  was  made  of  ^^The  Redeemer," 
mounted  on  rollers,  and  sent  to  the  Academy  of 
Design  in  New  York,  but  was  rejected  because  it 
had  no  frame.  It  was  never  exhibited  but  hung  on 
the  walls  of  his  various  studios  for  years,  until  worn 
by  age  and  damaged  by  frequent  removals  it  was 
finally  destroyed. 

Part  of  the  time  during  the  year  1852  Mr. 
Oertel  was  forced  to  leave  his  studio  in  Madison 
and  go  to  Newark  in  order  to  make  money  on  which 
to  live. 

Here  he  did  all  kinds  of  work  and  resorted  to 
various  devices  to  secure  the  necessary  dollars,  liv- 
ing meanwhile  in  bachelor  quarters  and  doing  his 
own  cooking. 

From  here,  under  date  of  May  5,  he  writes  his 
wife  that  the  reason  he  does  not  go  of tener  to  Madi- 
son is  ^^on  account  of  my  boots,  for  to  walk  (15 
miles)  I  consider  them,  and  to  ride  I  consider  the 
money."  During  his  stay  here  he  painted  mostly 
animals  and  worked  on  portraits  from  daguerreo- 
types for  another  artist. 

To  this  kind  of  drudgery  he  was  often  reduced 
by  pressure  of  circumstances.  He  could  work  un- 
ceasingly, but  he  could  not  bear  to  ask  for  pay. 
Before  leaving  Newark  he  wrote,  ^'I  shall  have  to 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.        33 

make  a  few  more  calls  for  the  purpose  of  collecting 
all  the  money  I  have  due  and  wish  to  get,  and  then 
march  off  from  Newark.  Almost  any  kind  of  work 
I  could  do  without  much  murmur,  only  I  can  not 
beg  cheerfully." 

He  had  been  brought  up  and  was  to  this  time  a 
Lutheran,  but  in  1852  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  and  was  confirmed  by  Bishop 
Doane  in  October  of  that  year. 

In  the  spring  of  1852  Mr.  Oertel  removed  to 
Brooklyn,  and  the  next  year  was  spent  entirely  in 
making  designs  for  steel  engravings  for  use  on 
bank  notes,  drawing  illustrations  on  wood,  or 
painting  portraits,  the  only  notable  work  of 
that  time  being  the  design  for  the  Crystal 
Palace  Medal,  which  was  selected  for  the  prize 
by  the  judges  at  the  competitive  trial.  It  rep- 
resented Industry  led  by  Progress  to  receive  a 
crown  at  the  hands  of  the  city.  Only  three  figures 
—yet  the  whole  story  told— and  again  the  quali- 
ties of  terseness  and  comprehensiveness  combined. 
He  also  made  the  model  in  wax  for  the  diesinkers  to 
work  from. 

A  design  was  made  at  this  time  bearing  the  title 
^^ Things  as  they  were  and  things  as  they  are." 
This  was  published  as  a  lithograph  by  Goupel,  of 
New  York,  and  bears  the  signature  ^^John  A. 
Oertel  Del.  &Lith." 

On  the  left  of  the  picture  are  the  ^  things  as  they 
were,"  on  the  right  ^^as  they  are,"  and  these  are 
divided  by  a  pillar  through  the  center  the  base  of 
which  rests  on  a  snail  shell  (left)  and  the  head  of 
an  eagle  (right),  and  it  is  surmounted  by  the  figure 


34  A  VISION  REALIZED 

of  Gutenberg,  a  book  under  his  right  arm  and  in  his 
right  hand  the  compasses. 

To  the  left  of  the  base  is  seen  the  courier  gal- 
loping with  his  dispatch,  and  this  is  balanced  on  the 
right  by  the  railway  with  train  going  over  a  high 
bridge  toward  a  tunnel;  above  the  courier  sits  a 
sandal-shod  monk  with  an  hourglass  before  him  on 
the  table,  writing  on  parchment  with  quill  pen; 
behind  the  monk,  and  forming  the  border  of  the  pic- 
ture, are  various  ancient  weapons,  bow,  spear,  pike, 
etc.,  and  through  the  vaulted  and  vine-clad  window 
is  seen  the  old  feudal  castle. 

On  the  other  hand  a  man  clad  in  modern  gar- 
ments sits  with  his  hand  on  a  telegraphic  instru- 
ment; above  his  head  is  the  gas  jet  and  from  it 
hangs  a  watch ;  behind  him  a  newsboy  is  crying  his 
^^ extras"  and  in  the  distance  appears  a  huge  fac- 
tory with  towering  chimney,  a  steamship,  and 
telegraph  poles  with  wires.  It  is  finely  balanced 
and  beautifully  drawn. 

*' Pulling  down  the  statue  of  King  George  at 
Bowling  Green,  N.  Y."  was  also  made  and  pub- 
lished in  a  large  steel  engraving. 

In  August,  1853,  he  began  engraving  for  the 
''National  Magazine"  and  ''Presbyterian  Board  of 
Publication,"  and  early  the  next  year  exhibited 
at  the  National  Academy  of  Design  the  following 
designs  in  pencil : 

"The  Death  of  Saul." 

' '  Angel  of  Prayer. ' ' 

"Behold,  I  Stand  at  the  Door  and  Knock." 

In  1854  he  again  returned  to  his  studio  in  Madi- 
son, N.  J.,  where  he  remained  about  a  year.    Some 


STEEL  ENGRAVINGS  MADE  FOR  BANK  NOTES 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       35 

of  the  time  was  lost  engraving  on  steel  for  the 
American  Bank  Note  Company,  but  he  did  more 
painting  than  in  the  preceding  years.  ''The  Cap- 
tive SouP'  dates  from  this  time.  This  was  painted 
to  commission  of  Dr.  S.  J.  Guy,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
It  was  a  life-size  female  figure,  one  hand  chained  to 
a  rock  on  which  she  knelt,  the  other  raised  high 
above  her  head,  while  the  upturned  face  was  full  of 
indefinable  longing  as  she  gazed  up  into  the  blue 
sky.  All  was  light  above,  all  dark  beneath.  The 
lower  part  of  the  figure  stood  in  dark  brown  ragged 
drapery  which  was  apparently  slipping  down  from 
the  form ;  a  white  robe  showed  above  it ;  leaving  the 
upper  part  of  the  figure  nude  as  if  it  were  stretch- 
ing out  and  away  from  the  rags  of  earth.  Around 
the  base  of  the  rock  a  serpent  is  gliding  and  a  skull, 
barely  visible,  lies  there  in  the  shadow.  Sin  and 
Death.  Whatever  may  be  thought  of  this  as  a 
painting,  as  a  composition  and  the  presentation  of 
an  idea,  it  is  extremely  full  of  suggestive  thought 
and  must  appeal  to  every  soul  alive  to  the  struggles 
toward  a  higher  and  more  perfect  existence. 

He  began  this  painting  during  the  absence  of  his 
wife  and  thus  writes  her : 

''During  my  solitary  days  I  work  like  a  hero 
going  out  to  conquer— and  conquering— a  moun- 
tain-like resolution,  and  big  brushes  do  their  work. 
Day  before  yesterday  I  painted,  in  a  few  hours,  the 
color  sketch.  Yesterday  I  began  the  picture,  cover- 
ing the  backgroimd ;  to-day  all  the  flesh  parts  and  a 
portion  of  the  drapery  marched  on  the  canvas,  and 
to-morrow,  if  God  permits,  the  whole  will  be 
covered." 


36  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Always,  when  his  heart  was  in  his  work,  he 
painted  rapidly. 

Being  very  much  annoyed  by  the  country  lads 
who  would  very  often  intrude  to  see  what  was  going 
on  in  that  ^^ paint  shop,"  he  found  his  revenge  in 
painting  a  satire  which  he  called  ^'The  Country 
Connoisseurs."  It  was  the  interior  of  his  studio; 
the  back  of  a  large  canvas,  supposed  to  be  that  of 
^^The  Captive  Soul,"  was  seen,  and  before  it  stood 
a  group  of  country  worthies  of  various  types,  but 
all  studied  from  life.  A  mongrel  cur  snarled  at  the 
Diana  mask  which  stood  against  the  wall. 

This  picture  made  some  sensation  when  it  went 
to  New  York,  as  the  critics  thought  it  a  sly  hit  at 
them;  but  the  artist  was  innocent  of  any  such  in- 
tention. 

He  also  painted  two  other  humorous  pictures, 
^^ Coming  home  from  Meeting"  and  '^Bob  Singing 
a  New  Song." 

Again  in  1855  he  returned  to  New  York  and  the 
next  two  years  were  spent  mainly  in  ^^  miserable 
bread  winning,"  steel  engraving,  portrait  painting, 
and  even  coloring  photographs. 

During  this  time  he  not  only  worked  at  odds  and 
ends  in  art,  but  made  other  ventures  and  attempts 
to  make  the  money  he  so  badly  needed  for  daily 
necessities  and  so  much  desired  to  enable  him  to 
carry  out  his  cherished  plans. 

He  invented  an  electrical  machine  which  he  and 
his  father  made.  This  proved  a  failure.  He  also 
became  interested  in  a  process  for  making  steel  out 
of  cast  iron  by  electricity.  It  was  the  invention  of 
a  Pole  named  Mayrhof er.    He  demonstrated  it  re- 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        37 

peatedly  before  Mr.  Oertel,  his  father,  and  others, 
and  had  several  offers  for  the  patent. 

Mr.  Oertel  says:  ''If  he  will  give  me  $10,000  I 
will  guarantee  to  sell  for  more  than  three  times  the 
amount  offered.  Father  went  down  to  Mayrhofer 
to-day  (April  3, 1856)  and  he  accepted  my  offer  of 
his  own  accord  and  promised  me  $50,000  if  I  made 
good  my  words."  Mayrhofer  offered  him  all  he 
could  get  over  $100,000  and  of  that  he  said,  ''For 
the  sake  of  my  old  debts  and  the  sake  of  my  art  I 
am  covetous— but  I  could  not  do  that.'' 

Prominent  men  were  interested  and  agreed  to 
pay  one  million  dollars  if  the  process  could  be 
demonstrated  to  their  satisfaction  to  be  as  claimed. 
Mr.  Oertel  was  very  much  elated :  Here  at  last  was 
the  money  to  enable  him  to  have  free  hand  in  art 
and  carry  out  all  his  plans. 

In  the  meantime  some  friend  of  Mayrhofer,  a 
Pole,  persuaded  him  to  the  belief  that  he  was  not 
going  to  get  enough  for  his  process,  and  that  he 
could  get  him  more  and  the  extra  money  could  be 
given  Kossuth  for  the  cause  of  Poland. 

He  had  such  a  hold  and  influence  over  Mayr- 
hofer that  when  the  test  was  made  he  purposely 
failed  in  his  demonstration.  His  friend  could  not 
help  him  as  he  had  promised,  nor  could  Mr.  Oertel 
after  this,  so  it  came  to  nothing.  Mayrhofer  died 
soon  after  and  with  him  the  secret.  Mr.  Oertel 
tried  many  times  to  produce  the  result  by  what  he 
knew  of  the  process  but  never  succeeded. 

As  many  hopes  had  been  cherished  and  plans 
made  on  the  success  of  this— which  seemed  to  him 
so  certain— the  disappointment  was  great.     He 


38  A  VISION  REALIZED 

wrote  his  wife :  ^  ^  I  speculate  and  toil.  Art  is  almost 
gone  from  my  thoughts ;  it  is  a  thing  that  was— and 
will  be— but  is  not;  it  exists  now  in  the  chrysalis 
state;  life  is  just  perceptible  by  a  few  twitching 
jerks.  In  the  meantime  I  endeavor  to  finish  my 
machine.  It  is  a  new  peg  to  hang  hopes  upon ;  we 
have  had  others  before  this  and  will  have  more 
after,  but  God  alone  decideth  our  ways. 

''Is  there  no  finger  of  God  in  the  fact  that  all 
my  works  remain  my  property  while  things  discon- 
nected with  art  are  thrown  into  my  hands  ^  Or  do 
I  seek  them?'' 

In  the  early  days  of  1857  Capt.  Montgomery 
C.  Meigs  came  from  Washington,  seeking  among 
the  artists  of  New  York  for  one  to  work  upon  the 
decorations  of  the  Capitol.  Oertel  was  engaged. 
This  seemed  to  him  a  great  opening,  to  work  thus 
on  a  national  building,  and  as  it  offered  a  regular 
salary  he  saw  the  chance  of  being  able  to  save  some- 
thing for  the  furtherance  of  his  darling  plans  of 
painting  the  gi^eat  series. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

On  February  19  he  left  for  Washington  to  take 
up  the  work,  full  of  enthusiasm  and  true  patriotic 
feeling  for  his  adopted  country.  He  wrote  his  wife 
(Feb.  20)  ''I  have  been  up  to  the  Capitol.  I  shall 
inscribe  my  name  on  its  walls  either  as  a  man  who 
will  live— or  as  a  nonentity  that  does  not  deserve 
to  live." 

The  first  work  assigned  him  was  the  decoration 
of  the  Senate  library.  This  evidently  was  decided 
at  once,  for  in  a  letter  to  his  wife  (Feb.  21)  he  says : 
^^I  have  to  make  four  allegorical  designs  for  the 
ceiling  of  the  Senate  library,  each  11  by  6  feet. 
These  are  for  frescos.  Mr.  Brumidi  has  made 
a  sketch  for  them,  together  with  the  ornaments, 
but  I  am  not  to  mind  his,  but  follow  my  own 
ideas." 

He  made  his  design  and  at  once  began  prepara- 
tory work.  He  intended  to  place  allegorical  figures 
on  each  of  the  four  fields  of  the  ceiling  represent- 
ing Poesy,  History,  Law,  and  Commerce,  and  to 
group  under  them  on  the  respective  side  walls  the 
greatest  American  poets,  historians,  lawyers  and 
merchants. 

He  had  worked  some  weeks  on  these  prepara- 
tions when  Captain  Meigs  came  to  him  and  asked 
as  a  special  favor  that  he  would  put  off  his  work  in 


40  A  VISION  REALIZED 

the  building  and  draw  for  him  the  designs  of  the 
State  arms  for  the  use  of  the  glass  stainers  who 
were  to  make  the  ceiling  of  the  Representatives' 
Hall.  He  showed  him  how  important  it  was  that 
they  should  be  put  in  the  hands  of  an  artist  of 
varied  knowledge,  as  they  contain  figures,  animals, 
plants,  and  a  variety  of  emblems,  and  that  all  the 
existing  authorities  were  stiff  and  badly  drawn,  and 
would  have  to  be  entirely  remodeled.  Much  against 
his  will  he  consented  to  undertake  this  task  to  oblige 
Captain  Meigs.  Nearly  a  year  was  spent  in  the 
producing  of  about  50  water  color  paintings  each 
in  a  20-inch  circle,  having  to  repeat  some  of  them 
because  he  was  furnished  with  incorrect  designs  for 
copy.  He  then  turned  with  a  sense  of  relief  to  the 
consideration  of  the  frescos.  He  went  up  to  the 
Capitol  for  material,  and  in  talking  with  Mr.  Kar- 
sten,  the  superintendent,  he  was  asked  what  room 
he  was  going  to  paint.  He  replied,  ''The  Senate 
library."  ''But,''  said  Mr.  Karsten,  "Brumidi  is 
painting  that."  It  seemed  impossible;  he  went  up 
there  at  once  and  found  it  about  half  done. 

He  turned  to  Captain  Meigs  for  explanation. 
That  gentleman  professed  to  be  surprised,  himself, 
"regretted  it  had  occurred,  etc.,"  and  wished  Mr. 
Oertel  would  make  another  selection.  This  he  did, 
choosing  a  suite  of  conmaittee  rooms,  and  so  notified 
Captain  Meigs,  when  he  was  informed  it  was  not 
proposed  to  decorate  these  rooms  expensively,  he 
must  choose  again.  He  then  went  over  the  plans 
with  Mr.  Karsten  and  found  that  every  part  of  the 
building  of  importance  was  already  in  the  hands  of 
Mr.  Brumidi,  he  having  made  designs  which  had 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        41 

been   accepted   by   Captain   Meigs,   been   photo- 
graphed, and  passed  into  commissions. 

He  at  once  sent  to  the  captain  the  following 
indignant  letter  of  protest  and  resignation : 

"Washington,  D.  C,  April  27,  1858. 
"Captain  M.  C.  Meigs. 

"Dear  Sir:  I  have  endeavored  three  different  times  since 
Saturday  to  see  you,  and  not  succeeding  I  take  this  method  of 
communicating  with  you. 

"In  consequence  of  your  last  letter  of  April  23,  instant, 
annulling  my  choice  of  room  No.  65  and  wishing  me  to  make 
another  selection,  I  went  at  once  to  the  Capitol  to  do  so.  The 
proposition  to  'paint  one  half  of  the  library,  leaving  the  other 
half  to  Mr.  Brumidi'  I  rejected  once  before  verbally,  as  you  will 
recollect.     I  could  not  now  accept  it. 

"On  carefully  reviewing,  with  Mr.  Karsten,  the  plans  of  all 
the  rooms  in  both  the  extension  wings  I  learned  that  there  is 
in  either  of  them  scarcely  a  single  room  of  importance  left,  which 
is  not  at  present  occupied  as  anticipated  by  Mr.  Brumidi  with 
a  sketch  or  design  for  decoration  and  paintings. 

"When  last  year  I  responded  to  your  call  I  did  so  as  an 
independent  artist  subject  to  no  one  but  your  own  commissions. 

"My  position  was  then  carefully  defined.  Agreeable  to  your 
wishes  I  submitted  to  the  irksome,  laborious  work  of  revising 
and  redrawing  all  the  various  State  arms  without  ever  entering 
a  complaint,  trusting  the  time  would  arrive  when,  according  to 
your  promise,  I  would  succeed  to  a  fair,  impartial  chance  as  a 
self-producing  artist.  The  Senate  library  was  to  be  my  field  and 
for  this  I  labored  hopefully,  making  studious  preparations. 

"When  ready  to  begin  upon  the  wall  I  was  unceremoniously 
despoiled  of  my  right  and  commission  by  Mr.  Brumidi.  For  this 
wrong  I  have  obtained  no  other  satisfaction  than  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Brumidi  could  afford  me,  informing  him  that  I  regard  his  pro- 
ceeding as  an  'unjust  interference  with  my  rights.' 

"But  I  had  looked  for  an  adjustment  of  my  claims  to  your- 
self, and  could  not  honorably  accede  to  a  compromise — nor  can 


I  ever. 


42  A  VISION  REALIZED 

"Nor  could  I,  after  what  passed,  accept  with  self-respect  any 
work  by  concession  of  Mr.  Bnimidi;  the  same  insult,  once  prac- 
ticed on  me,  would  be  liable  to  repetition.  My  feelings  of  pro- 
fessional independence  will  not  brook  any  other  than  a  position 
of  republican  level  with  any  other  artist. 

"I  could  honorably  descend  to  inferior  work  but  not  to  an 
inferior  position. 

"But  there  is  also  another  and  stronger  motive  actuating  my 
present  course,  from  the  fact  of  Mr.  Brumidi  having  already 
initiated  to  himself,  for  decoration  by  ornamentation  and  fres- 
cos, nearly  every  available  room  in  both  wings  at  the  Capitol 
extension.  This  truth  was  not  revealed  to  me  but  on  compulsory 
search  for  those  rooms  for  which  nothing  had  been  designed,  and 
except  for  this  circumstance  I  might  have  remained  ignorant 
yet  for  a  time. 

"It  would  ill  become  me,  as  an  American  citizen,  with  the 
knowledge  of  these  irregular  facts,  still  to  persist  in  writing  my 
solitary  name  upon  the  walls  of  the  nation's  first  and  best 
building  and  to  remain  unimpressed  by  the  entire  absence  of 
sympathetic  national  art  atmosphere  within  its  spacious  halls, 
looking  in  vain  around  me  for  congenial  society. 

"Merely  personal  injuries  I  might  have  passed  over  and  for- 
given— to  trespass  my  self  upon  national  ground,  I  dare  not. 

"I  therefore  beg  of  you,  respectfully,  to  accept  herewith  my 
resignation  and  to  kindly  notify  me  of  your  acceptance. 

"Eespectfully,  "Johannes  A.  Oertel." 

This  letter  was  thrown  into  print  by  a  friend  of 
Mr.  Oertel,  though  without  his  knowledge— a  gen- 
tleman high  in  position  in  Washington— and  widely 
copied,  as  at  that  time  public  sentiment  was  much 
aroused  in  regard  to  alleged  abuses  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Capitol  building. 

A  copy  of  one  of  the  newspaper  articles  follows. 
This  is  in  Mrs.  Oertel's  scrap  book,  and  there  is 
nothing  to  indicate  the  paper  from  which  it  was 
taken. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       43 
^^Art  at  the  Capitol.'' 

^^It  is  now  upwards  of  two  years  since  I  first 
began,  in  my  idle  way,  to  call  attention  to  the  art 
outrages  committed  by  the  Autocrat  4n  charge  of 
the  Capitol  Extension.'  A  very  honest  gentleman, 
he  may  have  been  competent  to  superintend  the  lay- 
ing of  stones  and  the  mixing  of  mortar  as  the 
worthy  and  accomplished  architect  might  have 
directed.  But  so  inflated  was  he  with  his  'brief 
authority'  that  he  assumed  the  dictation  of  every- 
thing, and  even  of  the  art  decorations,  which 
remain  a  monument  to  his  bad  taste. 

''It  has  been  whispered  that  in  this  department 
a  man  named  Brumidi  (a  dauber  of  speckled  men 
and  red  horses  in  true  oyster-saloon  style)  has 
assumed  supreme  control,  receiving  $10  a  day  for 
his  services.  Full  proof  of  this  is  found  in  the  fol- 
lowing letter,  written  by  a  gentleman  with  whom  I 
am  only  acquainted  by  reputation ;  but  that  reputa- 
tion is  high  and  honorable." 

Here  follows  Mr.  Oertel's  letter  to  Captain 
Meigs. 

"An  Appeal  to  Congressmen." 

"Will  not  each  member  of  Congress  give  the 
above  letter  a  careful  perusal?  It  needs  no  com- 
ment. Venal  editors  who  wish  to  have  relatives 
kept  in  Meig's  employ  may  call  it  the  work  of  a 
disappointed  artist,  but  it  shows  that  it  is  not;  and 
if  it  is,  why,  that  does  not  alter  the  case.  I  don't 
care  a  snap  for  Mr.  Oertel ;  but  I  do  protest,  as 
every  citizen  has  a  right  to  protest,  against  having 


44  A  VISION  REALIZED 

the  entire  Capitol  disfigured,  at  immense  cost,  by 
ignorant  and  incompetent  men  whose  bad  taste 
flashes  out  too  outrageously  to  be  mistaken. 

^^The  Eemedy." 

^^ Don't  vote  a  dollar  of  appropriation,  Messrs. 
Congressmen,  until  the  entire  decoration  is  taken 
away  from  Meigs,  Brumidi  &  Co.,  and  placed  in  the 
hands  of  competent  persons !  I  have  no  suggestions 
to  make  as  to  whom  these  persons  shall  be.  Let  the 
President  appoint  them;  let  Congress  designate 
them  in  the  bill ;  but  let  the  National  Capitol  not 
resemble  a  Neapolitan  icecream  saloon,  a  French 
coffee  house,  or  an  English  gin  palace." 

Similar  articles  appeared  in  various  papers, 
quite  an  excitement  was  raised  over  the  subject, 
a  convention  of  American  artists  was  called  at 
Washington,  and  an  attempt  was  made  to  remedy 
the  conditions  so  plainly  at  variance  with  the  spirit 
of  American  art  and  art  lovers  throughout  the 
United  States. 

This  convention  met  in  Washington,  March  20, 
1858,  and  having  resolved  itself  into  a  ^^  National 
Art  Association"  elected  the  following  officers: 

Rembrandt  Peale,  Esq.,  of  Philadelphia,  President. 

J.  R.  Lambdin,  First  Vice  President. 

H.  K.  Browne,  of  New  York,  Second  Vice  President. 

John  Cranch,  of  Washington,  Third  Vice  President. 

H.  D.  Washington,  Secretary. 

J.  M.  Stanley,  Treasurer. 


Executive  Committee. — Dr.  Horatio  Stone,  J.  A. 
Oertel,  H.  F.  Darbey. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       45 

The  object  was  stated  as  ^^for  the  purpose  of 
consolidating  the  members  into  an  efficient  body 
and  organizing  means  to  promote  the  interests  of 
art  before  the  American  Congress,  and  to  secure  to 
native  artists  the  illustration  of  our  national  his- 
tory in  the  public  buildings  of  the  Government." 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  draft  a  memorial 
to  Congress  embodying  the  subjects  and  purposes 
of  the  artists  of  the  country.  The  committee  pre- 
sented a  draft  of  a  memorial  and  the  association 
adopted  it. 

It  was  signed  by  the  members  of  the  Associa- 
tion of  the  National  Academy  of  Design,  New 
York;  Artists'  Friend  Society  of  Philadelphia, 
Philadelphia  Academy,  and  leading  artists  of 
Boston. 

This  ^^ memorial"  w^as  presented  to  Congress 
May  19  by  Mr.  Marshall,  of  Kentucky.  It  was  later 
acted  on  and  three  of  the  best  artists  in  the  country 
were  appointed  to  serve  as  art  commissioners— 
Henry  K.  Browne,  sculptor,  of  New  York ;  Henry 
Peters  Gray,  painter,  also  of  New  York;  and 
Horatio  Stone,  sculptor,  of  Washington.  These 
were  appointed,  but  with  characteristic  foresight 
no  appropriation  for  salary  or  expenses  was  made. 

These  gentlemen  were  very  willing  to  make 
some  sacrifice  for  the  good  of  the  country,  but  could 
not  give  all  the  time  it  would  require  without  some 
compensation;  so  the  movement  died  a  natural 
death  and  the  Italian  decorators  continued. 

During  his  stay  in  Washington  Mr.  Oertel  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Charles  Lanman,  well  known 
as  an  author  of  no  ordinary  literary  merit  and  also 


46  A  VISION  REALIZED 

as  an  artist,  and  they  became  firm  friends,  the  rela- 
tion continuing  through  life. 

Though  drudging  daily  at  his  task  of  copying 
the  State  arms,  his  mind  was  busy  on  his  own  de- 
signs and  ideas,  as  shown  by  letters  to  his  wife  in 
which  he  exclaims  (Aug.  3,  1857)  :  ^^My  mind  is 
made  up  for  work,  and  work  I  will.  Yea,  work  I 
must^  to  labor  into  existence  all  I  have  planned. 
My  mind  is  busy  as  a  bee  in  my  solitude.  I  should 
only  need  the  country  and  freedom  from  irksome 
duties  to  make  me  half  crazy  with  ideas." 

He  complained  bitterly  of  the  *^  distracting 
noises  of  the  city,"  children  with  drums,  tin  trum- 
pets, etc.,  and  the  piano  played  by  a  young  girl  in 
the  next  house. 

One  day  he  writes:  *^I  have  comparative  quiet 
if  there  were  not  just  now  a  villain  of  an  organ 
grinder  about ;  not  only  is  the  sweet  girl  gone  but 
her  piano  after  her. "  It  is  plain  to  see  how  irksome 
was  the  task  on  which  he  was  engaged.  In  one 
letter  he  breaks  out  with:  '*Pay  day  again!  The 
laborer  is  now  going  to  get  his  hire,  and  so  in 
reality  it  is.  I  am  on  a  par  with  the  stone  cutters 
and  tile  layers  just  so  long  as  the  State  arms  last, 
and  I  verily  believe  they  are  without  end." 

During  this  time  he  determined  to  turn  his  at- 
tention to  sculpture,  though  he  was  unable  to  carry 
out  his  plans.  Of  this  he  says :  ^^  There  are  some  of 
my  compositions  especially  suited  for  sculpture, 
and  they  are  thoughts  it  would  be  a  pity  to  lose ; 
and  besides  this  I  am  aware  of  my  predilection  for 
form,  irrespective  of  colors  and  of  my  choosing 
such  subjects  as  in  the  main  appear  to  as  much 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.       47 

advantage  in  pure  white  and  black,  as  in  colors, 
and  perhaps  to  the  only  advantage." 

He  moved  his  family  to  Washington  in  the 
spring  of  1857  and  rented  a  house  on  I  Street,  No. 
1357  *^near  the  park  (Franklin  Square)  where  one 
may  hear  the  tinkle  of  cowbells  at  night."  But 
once  again  he  must  move.  His  wife  and  children 
returned  to  Madison  about  the  1st  of  May,  1858, 
and  he  to  the  house  of  his  brother  ^^ Fritz"  at 
Stapleton,  Staten  Island,  where  he  fitted  up  a  room 
for  a  studio.  The  failure  of  the  Capitol  work  was 
a  great  disappointment,  yet  he  did  not  regret  his 
action  in  the  matter.  He  writes  (May  13,  1858) : 
**Mr.  Ensing  Miiller  was  amazed  at  my  appear- 
ance. That  was  natural;  but  my  motives  are 
acknowledged  everywhere.  This  sympathy  of  all 
is  a  consolation  and  an  encouragement.  God 
alone  knows  what  the  whole  occurrence  is  good 
for." 

For  the  next  two  years,  most  of  the  time  at 
Brooklyn,  he  painted  principally  cattle,  sheep,  and 
horses,  in  which  branch  of  art  he  attained  consider- 
able reputation. 

In  a  criticism  upon  a  collection  exhibited  by 
Snedicor  at  the  National  Academy  of  Design  in 
1859,  the  New  York  Evening  Post  said : 

^^Oertel  aims  at  sentiment  as  well  as  life.  Less 
attractive  in  color  than  some  others,  his  pictures 
more  than  make  up  this  deficiency  in  accuracy  of 
drawing  and  composition.  As  faithful  transcripts 
of  nature  his  animals  leave  little  to  be  desired. 
They  are  also  moralists,  poets,  and  philosophers. 
His  cattle  not  only  delight  in  green  pastures ;  like 


48  A  VISION  REAUZED 

Landseer's,  they  have  a  story  to  tell.  The  largest 
piece  in  the  collection  is  his  '^Rich  and  Poor";  at 
the  right  is  the  poor  man's  cow  looking  from  a 
barren  and  stony  roadside  with  a  subdued  forlorn 
longing  into  the  exuberant  pasture  where  the  rich 
man's  cows  are  frolicking  or  resting  in  their  surfeit 
and  looking  at  the  hungry  outsider  with  almost 
human  haughtiness  and  disdain  in  their  expression 
over  the  division  wall  between.  Near  by  in  the 
background  is  the  poor  man's  cottage  and  a  woman 
bearing  a  bundle  of  sticks  on  her  head,  while  past 
her,  enveloping  her  in  dust,  gallop  a  lady  and 
gentleman  on  horseback  toward  their  elegant  man- 
sion on  the  high  ground  in  the  distance. 

*^The  common  story  of  every  day  life  is  here 
told  as  eloquently  as  it  could  be  expressed  in  a 
dozen  volumes." 

This  period  offered  but  little  opportunity  for 
the  practice  of  Christian  art.  Some  pictures  were 
painted,  but  none  of  great  importance. 

All  these  years  the  yearning  in  his  soul  had  to 
be  satisfied  with  work  done  in  the  late  night  hours 
by  crayon  or  pencil— ^^ to  keep  my  spirit  alive,"  as 
he  wrote  once,  ^'for  if  people  prefer  to  make 
stables  of  their  parlors,  then  in  the  daytime  I 
must  perforce  paint  cattle  instead  of  prophets  and 
angels." 

While  on  Staten  Island  he  attempted  to  gain 
financial  and  artistic  independence  by  going  into 
dairy  farming— that  is,  he  bought  cows  and  had  a 
partner  to  care  for  them  and  run  the  business. 
This  partner  was  a  ^* practical  man"  and,  as  is 
usual  in  such  cases,  ran  the  farm  for  his  own  profit 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.       49 

alone,  and  the  artist  was  finally  compelled  to  with- 
draw and  leave  him  the  business. 

He  worked  very  hard  to  establish  this.  ^^  Cat- 
tle," he  writes,  ^'all  is  cattle— horned  and  un- 
horned ;  cattle  to  make  cattle,  dead  ones  converted 
into  live  ones.  I  shall  be  celebrated  yet  for  my 
cattle,  whether  for  dead  or  live  ones  is  the  ques- 
tion.'' In  December,  1860,  he  made  a  drawing 
called  **The  Circling  Year,"  a  flying  group  of  four 
boyish  figures.  The  following  description  of  this 
picture  was  written  by  Mrs.  Oertel : 

"In  rapid^  ever  circling  round,  this  joyous  brotherhood. 
O'er  the  fair  face  of  Earth  dispense  their  varied  gifts. 
First  Cometh  Spring — so  soft  and  dewey-eyed. 
With  sweet  reposeful  features,  and  a  smile 
Benignant  and  serene.    Enwreathed  in  flowers. 
His  sway  is  one  of  love  and  gladness,  even  his  tears 
With  sunbeams  bright  are  mingled. 
Then  full,  ripe,  rosy  Summer,  severs  with  sickle  keen 
The  bending  grain,  and  round  his  sun-bronzed  brow 
Entwines  the  golden  treasures. 

Drunk  with  the  purple  juice  of  the  rich  luscious  grape, 
Bedecked  with  tendrils  of  the  vine,  luxurious  Autumn 
Joins  the  merry  band — and  danceth  on 
With  joyful  shout  and  roystering,  gleeful  laugh. 
But  louder  still,  hale,  hearty,  fur-clad  Winter 
Glides  on  his  way  o'er  the  black  glittering  ice  fields 
Upon  his  steel-shod  heel.    In  wild  tempestuous  mirth 
He  passeth  by,  and  gentle  Spring  again 
Flower  crowned,  resumes  his  mild  and  peaceful  reign." 


CHAPTER  V. 

In  April,  1861,  seeking  relief  from  the  many 
annoyances  of  city  life,  and  to  find  a  home  where 
expenses  were  not  so  great,  he  removed  to  Westerly, 
E.  I.  Here  he  built  a  studio  and  settled  down  to 
earnest  and  serious  work,  hoping  soon  to  be  able  to 
take  up  his  religious  designs.  In  this  studio  some 
of  his  most  important  paintings  were  produced. 

His  first  picture  there  was  ^^  Father  Time  and 
his  Family."  This  was  a  flying  group.  In  the 
center  Father  Time,  the  conventional  old  man  with 
wings,  scythe,  and  hourglass,  with  a  lovely  female 
figure  representing  the  Year,  were  surrounded  by 
the  months  as  children,  each  bearing  typical  ob- 
jects, fruits,  etc.  The  Year  held  a  cornucopia  from 
which  she  poured  out  a  variety  of  things  upon  the 
earth.  An  explanation  of  this  painting  from  his 
own  pen  follows : 

*' Father  Time  and  His  Family." 

*' Symbolical  and  typical  expression  is  the  most 
primitive  and  the  most  suggestive.  It  is  the 
expression  of  poetry  and  of  poetic  art.  By  simple 
emblems  a  great  number  of  thoughts  are  often  com- 
prehended and  various  and  manifold  relations 
suggested.    In  the  desire  to  describe  forcibly  and 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       51 

compactly  the  mind,  as  by  instinct,  seizes  upon 
resemblances  or  illustrates  by  analogy.  In  this 
manner  many  of  the  deepest  truths  and  broadest 
facts  are  associated  in  the  popular  mind  with 
simple  signs  and  phrases.  Time  and  the  Seasons 
are  thus  suggested. 

''Prom  early  antiquity  the  old,  winged  man  with 
hourglass  and  scythe  has  told  of  rapid  flight,  of 
power  and  death— and  every  child  understands  the 
symbol.  The  Seasons  have  often  been  sung  and 
often  painted  in  various  manner.  Their  constantly 
recurring  changes  make  everybody  familiar  with 
their  characteristics,  and  hence  with  their  symbols 
when  represented  by  art.  They  are  connected  with 
our  lives,  our  joys,  and  our  griefs.  Childhood's 
outdoor  sports  have  endeared  their  varied  phases 
to  our  hearts,  and  the  thickening  experience  of 
advancing  age  deepens  that  love.  We  are  the 
recipients  of  the  blessings  they  abundantly  supply, 
of  the  rich  beauties  they  scatter  with  a  most  lavish 
prodigality;  of  the  joys  and  sorrows  they  bear 
along;  and  of  the  buoyant  hope  their  very  fleetness 
and  certainty  of  return  inspires.  They  mark  our 
existence  and  its  duration  upon  earth;  and  when 
we  are  reaped  by  that  solemn  mower,  'Time,'  we 
still  hope  that  some  significant  flower  may  peace- 
fully bloom  over  our  heads,  and  our  silent  graves 
be  gently  enfolded  in  the  wintry  vesture  as  an 
emblem  of  rest  after  labor. 

"In  order  to  represent  on  the  same  surface  the 
changing  aspects  and  gifts  of  Time,  as  experienced 
and  enjoyed  by  man,  it  becomes  necessary  to  make 
use  of  poetic  license.    For  this  the  subdivisions  of 


52  A  VISION  REALIZED 

time  by  years  and  months  furnish  a  universally 
understood  basis,  regarding,  for  the  picture,  the 
Year  as  the  spouse  of  old  Father  Time,  and  the 
twelve  months  as  their  offspring,  thus  constituting, 
as  it  were,  a  family,  and  developing  the  diversified 
features  of  time  from  one  central  idea.  The  repre- 
sentation of  'Time'  and,  to  a  degree,  that  of  the 
*  Seasons  or  Months,'  is  traditional.  The  Year,  in 
the  form  in  which  she  appears  in  the  picture,  is  an 
invention,  as  is  also  the  combination  of  all  the 
figures  into  a  family. 

'' Rapidity  of  flight  that  can  not  be  stayed, 
resistless  vigor  and  power  too  strong  for  created 
beings  are  the  marks  of  'Time.'  With  a  most 
earnest,  relentless  purpose  he  watches  our  fast- 
running  sands,  ready  to  cut  when  the  last  one  falls. 
His  encircling  arm  hurries  on  the  fair,  fruitful 
Year,  draped  in  white  and  girt  with  the  red  of  joy 
and  life;  and  as  death  envelops  and  follows  life, 
so  she  is  shrouded  in  a  black  mantle  of  mourning 
and  sorrow,  the  scythe  of  Time  coming  in  where 
the  white  and  black  join,  ready  to  sever  the  golden 
cord.  Emblems  of  human  experience,  from  out  of 
the  golden  urn  of  fate,  are  dropped  by  the  Year 
as  she  passes  over  the  Earth— the  jeweled  sword 
of  war  and  power ;  the  palm  of  victory ;  the  olive 
of  peace ;  pearls  and  coins  of  wealth ;  the  cross  of 
faith ;  the  red  rose,  life,  followed  by  the  white  rose, 
death;  the  sharp  thorn  of  affliction;  and,  last,  the 
ivy  of  hope.  These  she  empties  amidst  her  chil- 
dren, the  months,  who  carry  the  attributes  of  their 
respective  characters,  mostly  relating  to  the  fruits 
borne  by  each  in  reward  to  man's  toil;  and  in  this 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        53 

manner,  also,  in  turn,  humanizing  the  interest  of 
the  picture. 

^*The  blusterer  March  initiates  this  idea  by 
holding  the  spade  and  shepherd's  horn ;  him  follows 
the  husbandman,  April,  sowing  his  seed.  Joyous 
and  gentle  May,  the  month  of  poets,  is  bending  over 
these  two,  tossing  from  his  lap  the  spontaneous 
growth  of  delicate  spring  flowers.  Then  there  is 
June,  the  leafy,  hay,  and  rose  month;  the  heated 
July,  shadowed  under  his  sheaf ;  the  ripe,  auburn- 
haired  August,  mellow  like  his  fruit;  the  baccha- 
nalian September,  the  connecting  link  between  sum- 
mer and  autumn.  These,  in  which  life  renews  and 
activity  prevails  in  nature,  are  ranged  in  front  as 
belonging  to  life  typified  in  the  Year;  and  where 
floats  the  dark  mantle  of  death,  those  months  are 
situated  in  which  decay  begins  and  gradually 
resumes  sway.  October,  in  the  sere  drapery,  bears 
with  the  heavy  load  of  fall  fruits  also  the  yellow 
and  the  bright  autumnal  leaf.  From  his  abun- 
dance prudent  November  provides  for  winter  store, 
while  in  December  the  temporal  blessings  of  the 
months  are  crowned  by  the  choicest  spiritual  bless- 
ing of  God  to  man.  His  own  Son,  of  which  the 
Christmas  Tree  stands  as  the  type,  and  from  it  the 
tricolor  floats,  acknowledged  emblem  of  liberty,  in 
its  highest  sense  most  fitly  springing  from  Chris- 
tianity. The  ice  month,  January,  and  the  stormy 
snow  month,  February,  close  the  group. 

*^The  character  of  allegory  is  regarded  through- 
out the  whole  picture ;  forms,  colors,  and  relations 
being  chosen  in  reference  to  expressiveness  and 
sentiment.     Time,  with  stern  power;  the  Year, 


54  A  VISION  REALIZED 

with  admonishing  gentleness  dispensing  life  and 
death,  joy  and  sorrow;  the  months,  fraught  with 
labor,  hopefulness,  and  blessings,  move  ever  onward 
by  divine  command,  and  in  this  constant  round,  all 
of  man's  earthly  experience,  from  the  cradle  to  the 
grave,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  world, 
is  compressed,  nor  will  fail  to  be  so,  according  to 
the  promise :  ^  While  the  earth  remaineth,  seed  time 
and  harvest,  and  cold  and  heat,  and  smnmer  and 
winter,  and  day  and  night,  shall  not  cease.'— Gen. 
8:22.'' 

This  picture  was  exhibited  in  New  York  at  the 
gallery  of  Goupel  &  Co.  and  found  a  place  in  the 
collection  of  the  late  Marshall  O.  Roberts.  It  was 
the  first  to  give  Mr.  Oertel  a  substantial  footing 
there  as  a  painter. 

Early  in  1862  he  had  a  fall  from  a  step  ladder, 
breaking  three  ribs  and  his  right  wrist,  which  for 
a  time  stopped  all  work,  but  in  a  few  weeks  he  was 
again  in  harness. 

^^The  Final  Harvest"  followed  in  1862. 

This  was  a  flying  group  of  three  angels  in  a 
6-foot  circle,  founded  on  the  text  *^The  harvest 
is  the  end  of  the  world,  and  the  reapers  are  the 
angels."  One  angel  carries  a  sheaf  of  wheat,  one 
lifts  high  a  golden  vessel  filled  with  grapes,  and 
the  third  with  a  saddened  face  and  empty  hands 
points  below,  where  a  lurid  fire  is  burning  on  the 
sea  shore,  showing  that  his  task  has  been  the  burn- 
ing of  the  chaff.  This  picture  was  largely  exhibi- 
ted and  enough  written  about  it  to  make  a  volume. 
In  Boston  the  papers  at  last  refused  to  publish 
anything  more,  as  a  controversy  had  arisen  in 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       55 

regard  to  the  doctrine  involved.     One  of  these 
articles  from  a  Boston  paper  follows : 

* '  Final  Harvest.  ' ' 

**What  differentiates  Westerly  from  all  other 
places  at  this  moment,  is  the  fact  that  the  artist, 
Johannes  Oertel,  has  his  studio  there. 

"  ^If  ever  thou  should'st  come  by  choice  or  chance 
To  Modena,  pray  thee  forget  it  not. 
Enter  the  house,  and  look  awhile  upon  a  picture  there, 
'Tis  of  three  angels  in  their  glorious  youth.' 

^*The  subject  of  the  picture  is  *The  Final  Har- 
vest.' The  Eeapers  are  the  angels.  The  end  of  all 
things  has  come.  Time  shall  be  no  longer.  A 
black  waste  spreads  over  what  was  once  the  earth. 
There  is  a  suggestion  of  a  ruined  city,  and  a  smoke, 
on  which  are  reflected  lurid  lights  from  below, 
indicating  the  fire  that  goeth  not  out.  But  above 
the  earth  which  was  and  is  not,  soaring  to  the 
Heaven  which  is  their  home,  are  the  immortal 
reapers. 

^^We  have  all  seen  angels  in  other  pictures. 
Over  beautiful,  hiunan  forms,  more  or  less  exalted, 
floating  in  drapery,  is  painted,  wings  of  quill  and 
feather  are  added,  and  you  have  your  angel  com- 
plete. 

^^But  in  Mr.  Oertel 's  picture  the  robes  of  right- 
eousness are  a  part  of  the  angelic  essence,  and  the 
wings  are  powers  mighty  and  harmonious. 

*^The  central  flgure  bears  a  sheaf  of  grain,  *He 
shall  gather  the  wheat  into  His  garners.' 


56  A  VISION  REALIZED 

^*One  knows  the  meaning  of  the  word  seraphic 
when  one  has  seen  this  angel's  face. 

^^It  wears  the  rapture  of  him  whom  God  keeps 
forever  in  perfect  peace. 

*'The  coloring  of  this  figure  is  white,  with  blue 
which  becomes  deeper  in  the  wings. 

^'If  this  angel  represents,  nay  is,  Purity  and 
Peace,  that  at  the  left  is  Purity  and  Love.  It  is 
clothed  in  robes  of  flame,  and  the  color  deepens 
with  intense  and  burning  ardors  in  the  upward- 
soaring  wings.  Even  the  feet  are  not  so  still  as 
those  of  the  first,  and  the  arms  are  extended  to 
their  full  length. 

**The  second  angel  bears  aloft  a  vessel  of 
grapes. 

^'You  understand  that  this  is  a  religious 
picture.  The  motive  is  Christian,  the  execution 
devout.  The  whole  thought  is  scriptural.  'He 
shall  send  His  angels  and  they  shall  gather  His 
elect. '  '  They  shall  be  Mine  in  the  day  when  I  make 
up  My  jewels.'  Wheat  and  grapes.  His  own  choic- 
est gifts  to  man,  such  will  the  Lord  require  from 
field  and  vineyard.  May  there  not  yet  be  another 
meaning  in  the  sheaf  and  clusters  borne  hence  by 
the  Angelic  Harvesters?  These  two  were  often 
used  by  the  Lord  as  typical  of  Himself.  *I  am  the 
true  vine,'  'I  am  the  bread  of  life';  and  these  were 
chosen  also  as  the  sacramental  emblems  of  His  most 
precious  body  and  blood.  But  the  third  angel; 
what  is  his  work  to  gather?  *And  the  chaff  into 
unquenchable  fire.'  'In  the  time  of  harvest,  I  will 
say  to  the  reapers,  gather  ye  together  first  the  tares, 
and  bind  them  in  bundles  to  burn  them.'     This 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       57 

reaper  has  performed  his  task.  One  hand  is  placed 
on  the  breast,  the  other  hangs  by  the  side. 

'^I  thought  there  was  more  strength  in  the 
beauty  of  these  hands  than  the  others. 

^^  There  is  a  wonderful  nobleness  in  this  third 
angel;  a  profound  measureless  joy  and  love  in  the 
face,  and  the  burnished  emerald  wings  gleam 
bright,  no  shadow  dinmiing  them  from  Hhe  smoke 
of  their  torment, '  in  the  corner  below  his  hand. 

^^On  all  the  faces  is  the  sign  manual  of  Heaven. 
The  hands  adore,  the  feet  are  holy,  the  wings  seem 
glancing  and  glowing  with  awful  splendors  that 
kindle  anew  as  we  gaze. 

^^Had  the  artist  told  us  that  not  upon  canvas, 
not  by  the  aid  of  oils  and  ochres  and  pigments  of 
mundane  origin  and  use  he  had  made  this  picture, 
but  that  these  angels  had  suddenly  floated  out  of 
their  glowing  Heaven  and  w^ere  projected  on  a 
background  of  cloud,  we  must  have  believed  him. 

''The  'Final  Harvest'  is  to  be  exhibited  in  New 
York  next  month,  and  I  wished  that  it  w^as  also 
to  be  shown  here— that  it  was  to  stay  here. 

"I  was  about  to  say  that  its  native  state  ought 
to  possess  such  a  marvel  of  beauty,  but  Ehode 
Island  is  not  its  native  state.  We  may  say  that  it 
was  painted  here,  but  to  none  of  the  original 
thirteen  does  its  nativity  belong. 

*'Its  birthplace  was  above  the  stars.  Never, 
surely,  since  that  Sabbath  when  it  began  to  dawn 
toward  the  first  day  of  the  week,  has  there  been  on 
this  earth  such  'a  vision  of  angels.' 

''I  say  nothing,  I  know  nothing,  of  the  technical 
execution  of  this  painting.    Art  critics,  who  know 


58  A  VISION  REALIZED 

the  words  and  how  to  use  them,  may  do  that  here- 
after, if  they  can.  I  have  only  aimed  to  express  my 
own  feeling  of  the  matchless  beauty  of  what  I  saw, 
to  speak  of  the  divine  idea  so  nobly  interpreted. 

*' There  was  no  stammering  in  that  utterance  in 
the  studio  of  Westerly,  believe  me,  poor  as  is  the 
speech  of  your  correspondent  in  attempting  to 
convey  an  impression  of  it." 

(Signed)  S.S.J. 

This  picture  would  have  sold  readily  but  for  its 
size  and  circular  shape  of  frame.  One  gentleman 
said  he  would  take  it,  but  found  that  he  had  no 
space  in  his  house  large  enough  to  hang  it,  and  so 
cancelled  the  contract.  During  the  many  moves 
which  followed  in  the  ensuing  years  the  frame  was 
broken  up  and  the  picture  so  damaged  that  it  was 
eventually  destroyed. 

During  this  period  he  commenced  in  crayon  the 
preparatory  cartoon  for  the  first  of  the  great  series. 
It  was  5  by  4  feet  in  size  and  was  studied  and 
drawn  with  the  greatest  accuracy,  but  only  in  out- 
line. 

When  ^*The  Final  Harvest"  went  to  New  York 
for  exhibition,  the  drawing  of  ^^The  Dispensations 
of  Promise  and  the  Law"  was  taken  down  also,  to 
be  shown  to  a  few  friends  of  whose  understanding 
and  appreciation  the  artist  was  assured.  A  pub- 
lisher who  saw  it  persuaded  him  to  work  it  over 
and  finish  it  up  to  full  effect  in  light  and  shade,  so 
that  it  could  be  photographed,  being  very  enthu- 
siastic in  his  hopes  for  it  in  the  market.  He  did  so, 
working  almost  night  and  day  on  it  to  get  it  done 
in  a  given  time,  making  serious  inroads  upon  his 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        59 

health,  as  by  the  time  it  was  finished  he  broke  down 
completely.  He  suffered  intense  pain  which  nothing 
would  relieve  but  the  most  violent  exercise.  He 
would  run  for  miles,  returning  exhausted,  and  then 
he  could  sleep  a  short  time,  only  to  repeat  the 
exercise  when  he  awakened  or  suffer  great  agony. 
The  doctors  did  not  know  what  was  the  trouble 
nor  could  they  relieve  him  in  any  way.  Mrs.  Oertel 
grew  desperate  as  time  went  on  and  he  became 
worse  instead  of  better,  and  as  a  last  resort  she 
took  her  little  boy  ^^ Fritz,"  then  nearly  7  years 
old,  and  without  telling  Mr.  Oertel  where  she  was 
going  set  out  for  Newark,  N.  J.,  to  visit  and  consult 
a  clairvoyant— Dr.  Perkins— of  whom  she  had 
heard  from  friends  in  her  old  home. 

When  Dr.  Perkins  was  ^^put  to  sleep"  by  his 
wife  with  a  lock  of  Mr.  Oertel's  hair  pressed  to  his 
forehead  he  immediately  began  to  act  like  him  when 
in  his  studio ;  he  walked  up  and  down,  backed  off  as 
if  from  a  picture,  and  in  response  to  Mrs.  Oertel's 
question  ^^who  is  it.  Doctor^"  he  replied:  ^^ It  is  a 
man— your  husband— a  great  man  and  a  great 
work  to  do.  You  think  he  is  going  to  die ;  he  is  sick 
enough,  but  he  can't  die;  he  has  too  much  work  to 
do,  too  many  great  works  to  produce.  He  canH  die 
now ;  he  must  wait  until  it  is  all  finished." 

Prophetic  words,  truly.  Whatever  one  may 
think  of  this  kind  of  manifestation,  certain  it  is 
that  his  words  were  true,  and  certain  it  is  that 
after  taking  his  medicine  a  few  days  Mr.  Oertel 
was  free  from  pain  and  working  away  with  his 
usual  strength. 

The  cartoon  was  sent  to  New  York  and  photo- 


60  A  VISION  REALIZED 

graphed,  but  never  found  the  recognition  that  the 
publisher  predicted  for  it. 

After  having  it  handsomely  framed— under 
glass— it  was  placed  on  exhibition  at  the  National 
Academy.  Here  it  was  given  a  place  in  a  corner 
of  the  corridor,  and  the  critics  said  that  there  was 
^'not  a  single  important  work  on  the  walls  that 
year'M 

No  wonder  the  heart  of  the  sensitive  enthusiast 
sank  at  this.  These  works  were  the  children  of  his 
soul  rather  than  of  his  intellect ;  they  were  a  por- 
tion of  his  life,  and  therefore  when  the  world 
treated  them  slightingly  he  was  wounded  deeply, 
not  for  himself,  but  because  of  the  Divine  subjects 
of  which  they  speak.  He  was  hurt,  but  not  in  the 
least  shaken  in  his  resolves  for  the  series.  He  went 
on  just  as  if  he  had  never  met  the  rebuff,  seeking 
only  to  find  work  that  might  be  remunerative 
enough  to  prove  a  steppingstone  to  gain  the  height 
of  his  desires— to  be  able  to  go  on  and  paint  the 
four  grand  designs. 

This  cartoon  was  damaged  and  torn  in  moving 
it  from  place  to  place  and  he  cast  it  aside  as  worth- 
less, but  after  his  death  it  was  discovered  rolled  up 
with  some  old  drawing  paper  and  it  was  placed  in 
the  hands  of  an  expert  in  Washington  who  mounted 
it  on  cloth  and  almost  completely  restored  it. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  war  now  raged  in  the  South  and  some  of 
Mr.  OertePs  friends  urged  him  to  go  to  the  scene 
of  the  conflict  and  make  studies,  as  in  their  opinion 
when  the  time  of  peace  came  every  record  of  the 
strife  would  be  of  interest.  In  accordance  with 
this  advice  he  set  out  September  21,  1862,  spent 
several  days  in  New  York  buying  his  outfit,  and  on 
September  28,  he  went  to  Washington,  leaving 
there  for  the  front  October  3,  when  he  joined  the 
Sixth  New  York  Cavalry,  then  under  General 
Burnside,  at  Pleasant  Valley,  Md. 

His  letters  to  his  wife  show  the  usual  enthu- 
siasm which  he  displayed  in  all  undertakings  where 
he  felt  he  was  doing  his  duty.  From  New  York  he 
wrote:  '^I  expect  to  get  a  special  letter  of  intro- 
duction to  General  B.  I  do  not  want  to  be  classed 
among  the  '  Special  artists. '  I  expect  to  serve  my 
coimtry  as  but  few  can,  and  men  like  General  B. 
ought  to  assist  me. 

*'I  am  leaving  for  Washington;  once  more  I 
shall  see  that  city  on  a  strange  enterprise.  Before 
I  paused  there ;  now  my  field  lies  beyond.  The  feel- 
ing of  being  cast  adrift  upon  an  untried  sea  is  mine. 

^^I  have  put  my  new  painting  box  in  order  and 
this  took  me  some  time,  as  I  find  tinkering  neces- 
sary after  every  mechanic. 


62  A  VISION  REALIZED 

^^I  bought  a  pair  of  cavalry  boots  and  a  rubber 
blanket;  likewise  a  soldier  cap  in  wbich  I  look 
^a  la  militaire'  to  the  amusement  of  my  friends,  who 
never  saw  me  but  with  exuberance  of  wild  hair 
and  an  easy  felt  hat  in  a  backward  inclination 
planted  on  top. 

^^The  little  defenseless  group  of  a  mother  and 
two  children  on  the  platform  of  the  depot  in  West- 
erly at  night  is  ever  before  my  sight.  May  God 
bless  and  preserve  you,  and  permit  us  to  meet  again 
in  the  safety  and  happiness  of  home  and  quiet. 

^^I  go  from  all  I  value  to  obey  a  strange  call. 
May  the  almighty  arm  of  the  good  God  never  depart 
from  shielding  and  guiding  me." 

He  soon  fell  into  the  ways  of  soldier  life,  going 
on  reconnaissance  along  the  front  with  General 
Burnside's  bodyguard  and  doing  picket  duty,  and 
says  ^^This  is  an  exciting  life  full  of  wild  interest 
—I  rather  like  it." 

^^I  have  material  for  fine  subjects  and  have 
made  studies  for  'An  Army  Train,'  he  writes  from 
Warrenton,  Va.,  November  11,  1862. 

''It  seems  at  first  a  subject  of  little  importance, 
but  to  those  who  know  it  it  is  a  subject  illustrating 
much  of  a  soldier's  life  and  the  life  of  a  large  army. 
Indeed  one  of  those  countless,  endless  trains  is  cal- 
culated to  show  more  forcibly  the  magnitude  and 
ponderousness  of  a  great  army  than  the  scattered 
camps  over  a  stretch  of  many  miles  and  invisible 
one  from  another.  Nor  is  it  the  wagons  only  that 
move  in  the  train ;  the  army  that  has  marched  ahead 
leaves  its  many  representatives.  There  is  the 
straggler  from  the  ranks  who  throws  his  musket 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        63 

and  knapsack  upon  some  team  and  saunters  along 
leisurely,  and  more,  there  is  the  poor,  weary,  sick 
man,  who  is  willing  but  can  stagger  no  further, 
and,  like  the  overworked  horse  or  mule  he  is  almost 
forgotten  and  left  by  the  wayside.  Forsaken, 
smouldering  campfires  all  along  tell  where  a  rest 
has  been  made,  lame  horses  tied  to  the  backs  of 
wagons  are  dragged  along.  Stony  roads,  with  ruts 
and  steep,  rough  hills  impose  dreaded  difficulties 
on  man  and  beast ;  and  many  more  and  sometimes 
thrilling  incidents  conform  with  the  variety  of 
anmiunition  and  company  wagon,  the  hay  wagon, 
the  ambulance,  the  caisson,  and  quartermaster,  sur- 
geons, etc.  This  is  an  army  train.  On  the  moun- 
tains of  Virginia  the  eye  can  sometimes  trace  it  for 
miles,  winding,  disappearing,  and  appearing  again, 
still  further  and  further  off,  till  the  white  wagon 
tops  seem  like  sheep  in  single  file  on  the  distant 
hiUs. 

^^I  shall  make  a  large  picture  of  it,  and  am  now 
at  work  on  the  material. 

^^  To-day  I  saw  General  McClellan  depart  from 
his  army  for  home.  General  Burnside  accom- 
panied him  to  the  depot.  I  followed  an  impulse 
and  went  into  the  car  to  bid  him  good-bye.  It 
needed  but  a  mention  of  my  name. 

**I  begged  leave  to  shake  hands  with  him  as  I 
might  never  have  another  opportunity.  He  was 
sad  and  seemed  to  struggle  with  his  feelings,  and 
after  the  train  had  got  in  motion  he  raised  the  car 
window  and  gave  one  more  long  look  upon  the 
crowd  of  officers  behind,  then  shut  it  down  again. 

*' Burnside  also  was  unusually  quiet,  and  for 


64  A  VISION  REALIZED 

once  Ms  fine  teeth  were  not  so  prominent  when  he 
spoke— I  was  going  to  say  smiled,  but  he  did  not 
smile,  not  to-day—^  Some  political  deviltry  has  been 
intriguing  again.' 

^^The  army  has  made  a  tremendous  demonstra- 
tion at  his  leave-taking  and  feel  bereaved  of  a 
friend  and  father.  The  event  has  saddened  me 
also,  though  I  never  before  spoke  to  the  man,  but  I 
believe  in  him.  May  his  removal  at  this  juncture, 
when  the  whole  army  is  in  motion  against  the  foe, 
work  no  great  mischief  to  the  country!" 

This  was  the  time  of  which  has  been  said  that  it 
would  only  have  needed  a  word  from  General  Mc- 
Clellan  for  him  to  have  returned  to  Washington  at 
the  head  of  his  army  as  Dictator. 

The  month  of  November  was  spent  in  camps 
at  Liberty,  Morrisville,  and  Eichards  Ford,  on 
the  Rappahannock,  where  he  was  ^^busy  making 
sketches  in  oil,  a  pile  of  which  is  constantly  increas- 
ing," and  he  adds,  ^^If  a  battle  does  not  result  in  or 
around  Fredericksburg  I  am  mistaken. 

^^We  are  but  2  miles  this  side  of  Falmouth 
(Nov.  28),  and  the  army  is  enlarging  constantly— 
all  now  is  life,  expectation,  and  constant  drill.  The 
army  lies  close  together,  as  it  would  before  a  great 
battle  is  fought,  and  the  land  literally  swarms  with 
an  armed  host.  Nothing  meets  the  eye  than  the 
sight  of  martial  life,  and  martial  sounds  the  ear. 
The  plains  and  the  woods,  the  hills  and  the  valleys, 
are  vast  camps,  and  parks  of  wagons  and  dark 
columns  of  men  moving  hither  and  thither;  and 
supply  trains  going  and  coming;  and  new  armies 
moving  thickly  in,  to  fill  what  vacant  place  is  left. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       65 

It  is  a  grand  spectacle.  They  cover  indeed  'the 
face  of  the  earth. ' 

^*It  can  never  be  rendered  in  a  picture,  only  a 
hint  conveyed,  and  this  I  propose  to  do  in  the  com- 
position I  have  sketched. 

*^I  am  becoming  more  and  more  enlightened 
about  the  way  of  painting  'The  Army  Train'  every 
day  as  I  move  among  this  new  and  tragic  life  all 
around  me  and  see  the  men  and  objects  which 
are  to  compose  part  of  it,  and  I  believe  the 
picture  will  not  be  a  failure.  I  can  be  literal, 
when  needed,  and  literal  I  will  be,  even  to  the 
very  rags,  and  dust,  and  dirt.  The  people  shall  see 
their  soldier  as  he  is  and  the  people  will  not  be  un- 
merciful of  the  truth. 

''You  know  my  maxim  is  to  strike  few,  but  hard 
blows.  Little  pictures  fret  a  man 's  energies ;  I  have 
tried  that.  Few  men  can  paint  comprehensively, 
but  many  will  be  the  penny  productions  cooked  up 
from  photographs  and  fancy  which  will  flood  the 
market  after  this  war.  I  shall  not  belong  to  the 
latter  class ;  I  will  endeavor  to  tell  my  story  by  one 
or  two  works  of  importance,  and  the  one  in  con- 
templation will  have  as  great  variety  of  feature 
crowded  into  it  as  anything  I  have  yet  made." 

So  he  continued  to  prepare  for  the  work  which 
he  believed  it  his  duty  to  execute  even  though  it 
was  not  to  his  liking.  He  made  about  80  studies 
and,  the  last  of  December,  left  camp  and  returned 
north  to  his  home  in  Westerly,  intending  to  go  on 
at  once  painting ' '  The  Army  Train  "  or  "  The  Army 
in  Motion"  as  he  decided  to  call  it. 

This  plan  he  never  carried  out,  partly  because 


66  A  VISION  REALIZED 

the  public  seemed  rather  to  prefer  to  bury  the 
remembrance  of  these  events  in  oblivion  than  to 
have  them  perpetuated  on  canvas,  but  more  because 
he  realized  that  there  was  so  little  in  it  all  to  fill  his 
own  mind  that  he  feared  he  would  not  be  able  to 
keep  his  interest  alive  long  enough  to  finish  it 
successfully. 

Under  date  of  June  2, 1863,  Mrs.  Oertel  wrote  a 
friend:  ^^I  do  not  believe  that  my  husband  will 
ever  paint  the  first  stroke  on  that  army  picture 
after  all.  He  is  evidently  very  much  disinclined  to 
the  work ;  besides  he  feels  that  his  years  are  fleeing 
away  and  if  he  is  ever  to  work  in  his  Master's 
cause  it  is  time  he  was  about  it." 

He  painted,  however,  six  war  scenes  of  consider- 
able size,  most  of  them  treated  as  animal  pictures. 
Two  of  them  were  bought  by  Sir  Morton  Peto,  the 
great  English  financier,  and  taken  by  him,  with 
Bierstadt's  ^^Eocky  Mountains,''  to  England.  One, 
*^The  Virginia  Turnpike,"  showed  a  six-mule  team 
and  army  wagon  laboring  up  a  hill  in  the  awful 
mud  which  signalized  General  Burnside's  winter 
before  Petersburg  as  ' '  the  mud  campaign. ' '  It  was 
bought  by  a  company  of  gentlemen  and  presented 
to  Ex-Governor  Fenton,  of  New  York. 

He  also  painted  ^^The  Gallop  of  Three"  and 
*^The  Raid"  for  Mr.  J.  E.  Paine,  of  New  York. 

**The  Raid"  was  sent  to  the  Brooklyn  Art  Asso- 
ciation's Exhibition  (Dec.  22-26,  1865),  by  Mr. 
Paine,  about  which  he  wrote  the  artist:  ^*The 
^hanging  committee'  gave  it  the  central  position  on 
the  long  or  unbroken  wall,  and  what  I  should  con- 
sider the  ^ place  of  honor,'  certainly  the  most  prom- 


^^ 

^   "     ■■;, 

':.-<^ 

W^w 

l^F',       ■         ■;■;--■       ;|^ 

i^i^ 

MLji 

'^^'  ^ 

K^'^'^^li'fl 

'^'^- 

r-  ' 

:'4 

^^^'^^C  i 

%     ^ 

m     .    ■  ■^■v 

THE  ROCK  OF  AGES 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        67 

inent  and  the  one  of  all  others  that  I  should  have 
chosen  for  it. 

^^I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  it  had  a 
hundred  times  more  attention  bestowed  on  it  than 
any  other  picture,  and  gave  more  pleasure,  not  only 
to  the  pleasure  seekers  merely,  but  to  the  thought- 
ful and  intelligent. 

**The  picture  was  considered  one  of  extraor- 
dinary power  and  very  great  merit.'' 

On  the  death  of  Mr.  Paine  this  picture  passed 
into  the  hands  of  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  J.  A.  Edwards, 
of  Chicago,  111. 

''The  Walk  to  Emmaus,"  ''Easter  Morning," 
"Mary  Magdalene  at  the  Sepulchre,"  and  other 
religious  works  were  painted,  all  remaining  in 
Ehode  Island  and  never  being  exhibited.  Then 
came  the  work  about  which  so  much  has  been  writ- 
ten and  which  has  been  reproduced  and  is  to  be 
found  all  over  the  world  where  art  has  penetrated 
at  all,  in  the  palaces  of  the  rich  and  cultivated,  in 
the  homes  of  the  poor,  ignorant  and  lowly,  some- 
times changed,  it  is  true,  in  some  of  its  details,  but 
always  bearing  the  same  name,  carrying  the  same 
message,  and  teaching  the  same  lesson  of  Faith  (as 
it  was  at  first  called)  and  trust  in  the  cross  of 
Christ-" The  Rock  of  Ages." 

As  has  been  said,  the  artist's  name  has  not  fol- 
lowed this  work.  Had  it  done  so,  no  name  of 
modern  times  would  be  better  known.  From  first 
to  last  a  strange  fatality  seemed  to  hover  over  it 
and  to  prevent  the  reaping  of  any  benefit  by  the 
artist  either  in  a  financial  way  or  as  to  reputation. 
It  has  been  copied  in  every  possible  way,  produced 


68  A  VISION  REALIZED 

in  every  process,  given  away  as  premiiim  on  the 
purchase  of  soap  or  of  a  cheap  magazine.  It  has 
been  used  by  churches  to  illustrate  their  pamphlets 
and  circulars,  stamped  on  medals,  and  sold  as  a 
*^ picture  postal''  for  a  penny,  yet  rarely,  if  ever,  in 
all  these  various  publications  has  the  name  of  the 
artist  been  mentioned.  It  has  been  described  as 
**the  greatest  religious  picture,"  "the  most  popular 
American  painting,"  etc.,  but  through  all  this  is 
never  seen  the  statement  *^  painted  by  Oertel,"  and 
though  the  copies  sold  by  his  publisher  bore  his 
name,  yet  few  there  are  of  all  the  millions  who 
know  and  love  it  can  tell  whence  it  came. 

Can  this  be  said  of  any  work  as  popular  and  of 
such  widespread  distribution— if  indeed  such  a 
work  exists? 

It  has  been  made  the  subject  of  scores  of  news- 
paper articles,  and  its  story  varied  in  as  many 
ways.  No  doubt  the  writers  received  their  regular 
pay  per  line  for  all  this,  but  never,  so  far  as  is 
known,  did  it  result  in  the  slightest  benefit  to  the 
artist. 

The  whole  story  of  this  work  had  best  be  told 
here,  though  it  extends  over  a  number  of  years. 

The  title,  as  entered  in  his  record  book  (June 
10, 1867)  is  ^' Saved,  or  an  Emblematic  Representa- 
tion of  Christian  Faith." 

Later  he  called  it  ^* Faith";  then  the  name  of 
*^the  Rock  of  Ages"  was  adopted  as  being  the  more 
popular  title. 

The  first  sketch  of  the  subject  was  made  in  the 
album  of  a  Westerly  lady,  in  pencil.  Next  a  small 
painting,  and  then  a  painting  12  by  18  inches,  which 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       69 

was  presented  to  Mrs.  Rowse  Babcock,  of  Westerly, 
after  which  came  a  larger  painting  26  by  49  inches. 

This  was  sold  the  second  day  of  exhibition,  at 
Shaus's,  in  New  York,  to  Mr.  Augustus  Storrs,  of 
Brooklyn. 

Mr.  Oertel  did  not  realize  the  importance  of  this 
design,  but  when  it  came  before  the  public  the 
popular  heart  was  touched  as  it  has  not  been  by 
any  other  modern  picture,  and  he  soon  had  offers 
to  purchase  the  copyright  and  to  publish.  George 
T.  James,  of  New  York,  was  selected  as  the  pub- 
lisher and  copies  both  in  photograph  and  chromo 
were  made  and  sold  rapidly. 

When  it  was  decided  to  publish  the  picture  Mr. 
Storrs  was  requested  to  loan  his  copy  for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  the  necessary  photographs,  but  this 
he  refused  to  do,  so  Mr.  Oertel  painted  another  for 
the  purpose. 

This  was  36  by  61  inches.  Some  years  later  it 
was  sold  to  Mr.  William  Fogg,  of  New  York.  After 
his  death  his  collection  of  paintings  was  sold  at 
auction,  and  it  is  understood  that  this  copy  at  that 
time  was  purchased  for  the  Museum  of  Art,  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio. 

Two  editions  of  the  chromo,  made  in  France, 
sold  in  London  before  one  copy  was  brought  to  this 
country.  The  explanation  of  this  is  easily  seen 
when  it  is  known  that  Mr.  James  claimed  all  the 
receipts  from  foreign  sales  and  paid  royalty  only 
on  what  was  disposed  of  in  the  United  States. 

For  some  time  they  could  not  be  printed  fast 
enough  to  supply  the  demand. 

For  once  it  seemed  he  had  achieved  a  financial 


70  A  VISION  REALIZED 

success.  But,  alas,  the  popularity  was  so  great  that 
it  aroused  the  greed  of  the  dealers  in  such  wares. 
They  took  the  trouble  to  look  closely  into  the  mat- 
ter of  the  copyright  and  discovered  a  ^^flaw." 

Mr.  Oertel  had  always  considered  himself  a  New 
York  artist,  although  living  in  Rhode  Island,  and 
all  his  art  business  was  done  in  New  York.  So  in 
New  York  he  took  out  the  copyright.  The  law,  of 
which  he  was  ignorant,  said  that  it  must  be  taken 
out  in  the  State  in  which  the  artist  resided,  or  in 
the  general  office  in  Washington,  D.  C. 

So  the  picture  pirates  commenced  publishing 
for  themselves  various  forms  of  cheap  imitations. 
Oertel's  publisher  got  out  injunctions  against  them 
and  three  expensive  law  suits  ensued  in  defense  of 
the  copyright  which  the  artist  had  to  wage  single 
handed,  as  Mr.  James  insisted  that  under  the 
terms  of  the  contract  he  had  no  responsibility  in 
the  matter.  The  artist  paid  the  expenses  from  his 
royalty  of  one-fourth  while  the  publisher  looked  on 
complacently,  pocketing  the  while  his  three-fourths 
in  safety. 

The  first  two  suits,  in  New  York  City  were 
decided  in  favor  of  the  artist.  Judge  Cardoza 
holding  that,  the  technical  flaw  in  the  copyright 
notwithstanding,  the  artist  had  a  right  to  the  income 
from  the  work  of  his  own  brains  and  hand— a  just 
decision  indeed.  In  fhe  third  trial,  however,  which 
was  held  in  Chicago,  the  decision  was  against  him, 
the  copyright  was  broken,  and  from  that  time  on 
the  **Rock  of  Ages"  was  the  property  of  anyone 
who  chose  to  use  it. 

It  would  seem  that  David  Thoreau  was  far  from 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        71 

wrong  when  he  said,  ^^I  have  learned  that  trade 
curses  everything  it  handles ;  and  though  you  trade 
in  messages  from  heaven,  the  whole  curse  of  trade 
attaches  to  the  business."  Even  this  *^ message 
from  heaven"  could  not  be  made  an  object  of  trade 
without  being  subjected  to  the  curse,  and  it  is  no 
wonder  that  a  man  with  the  principles  and  aims  of 
Oertel  preferred  rather  to  give  away  his  religious 
pictures  than  to  have  them  brought  under  its  bane- 
ful influences  and  be  tainted,  as  he  said,  by  the 
spirit  of  the  money  changers  whom  Christ  scourged 
from  the  Temple. 

In  1895,  July  10,  another  copy  was  made,  24  by 
40  inches,  ^^for  my  son  Eugene,  to  be  reproduced 
in  the  ** photochrome  process."  This  copy  is  still 
(1915)  the  property  of  his  son.  Dr.  T.  E.  Oertel,  of 
Augusta,  Ga.  Several  small  copies  were  made  at 
various  times  as  presents  to  his  friends. 

It  was  painted  again  in  1898  (August),  this  time 
life  size,  7  feet  8  inches  by  12  feet  ^^for  purpose  of 
exhibition  and  possible  publication." 

The  exhibition  referred  to  was  arranged  for  by 
H.  Jay  Smith,  whose  business  was  to  exhibit  for 
various  artists,  and  who  came  with  good  indorse- 
ment. Several  paintings  were  placed  in  his  hands, 
of  which  mention  will  be  made  later,  and  these  were 
exhibited  in  Boston,  Mass.,  that  fall. 

After  the  exhibition  closed  all  the  pictures  were 
returned  except  the  large  *^Eock  of  Ages"  and  an 
animal  piece  which  Smith  said  he  wished  to  buy. 
The  ^^Eock  of  Ages"  he  expected  to  exhibit  in 
Chicago,  whence  he  wrote  saying  he  had  arrived 
and  would  *^soon  send  payment  for  the  ponies.^ ^ 


72  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Once  more  Chicago  was  fatal,  as  neither  Smith 
nor  the  paintings  were  ever  heard  from  again. 
Every  effort  to  learn  of  his  whereabouts  proved 
abortive,  nor  has  the  slightest  trace  ever  been  dis- 
covered of  the  big  canvas. 

Such  is  the  history  of  this  famous  design.  Even 
though  the  name  of  the  artist  be  unknown,  yet  will 
it  continue  to  live  throughout  the  ages,  ever  telling 
its  story  to  the  world ;  and  though  obscure  in  life 
yet  in  this  will  he  live  while  the  world  endures. 

As  he  himself  wrote,  *^I  wish  to  preach  even 
more  than  instruct;  and  if  this  photograph  goes 
out  by  the  thousands,  I  shall  have  delivered  so 
many  earnest  sermons  and  continue  to  deliver  them 
even  when  my  stanamering  tongue  is  silent  in  the 
grave.'' 

In  October,  1867,  he  began  a  series  of  eight 
designs  illustrating  the  poem  of  William  CuUen 
Bryant,  ^^ Waiting  by  the  Gate,"  and  at  that  time 
the  first,  *'The  Gate,''  was  made. 

A  plan  was  now  evolved  by  which  it  was  hoped 
to  introduce  copies  of  ^'The  Dispensations  of 
Promise  and  the  Law"  throughout  the  country. 
It  was  thought  that  clergymen,  especially  those  of 
the  Episcopal  Church,  would  take  an  interest  in 
this  work  if  it  could  be  brought  to  their  notice,  and 
the  artist's  wife  undertook  the  thankless  task  of 
attempting  to  see  and  interest  them.  Armed  with 
letters  of  introduction  from  her  pastor  in  Westerly 
and  others  she  visited  New  York  and  several  east- 
ern cities,  but  succeeded  in  awakening  no  interest— 
finding  least  where  most  was  expected. 

In  this  effort  weeks  were  spent  going  from  city 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        73 

to  city  and  tramping  from  door  to  door  carrying  a 
heavy  portfolio  of  specimens.  Rebuff,  refusal,  and 
even  insult  was  met— little  encouragement— but  she 
kept  bravely  on  until  satisfied  that  nothing  could 
be  accomplished  in  this  way,  and  returned  home. 

The  success  of  ^^Faith"  ('^Eock  of  Ages") 
prompted  Mr.  Oertel  to  produce  also  *'Hope"  and 
''Charity,"  but  they  were  never  popular  and  had 
little  sale. 

The  first  was  a  female  figure  standing  by  the 
side  of  a  rock  on  a  bluff  overlooking  the  sea  and 
gazing  out  over  the  expanse  of  water— where  was 
seen  a  ship  standing  in  toward  the  land. 

The  second  was  the  same  scene  as  the  ''Faith," 
only  the  figure  clinging  to  the  cross  held  on  with 
one  hand  only  while  with  the  other  she  helped  a 
sister  to  climb  up  on  the  rock. 

In  a  circular  issued  by  Mr.  James  they  were 
thus  described : 

Christian  Hope, 
"patient  in  suffering,  joyful  in  hope." 

This  is  not  the  ancient  allegorical  maiden  who 
has  been  leaning  from  time  immemorial  on  an 
anchor,  but  a  transcript  of  a  human  soul,  the  senti- 
ment and  expression  of  which  is  truly  told  in  the 
passage  of  scripture  here  quoted.  Hope  bears  upon 
a  rock  (typifying  Christ),  to  which  clings  the  ever- 
green Ivy. 

While  the  shadows  of  a  parting  tempest  are 
fleeting  across  the  lower  part  of  her  figure  her  face 
looks  up  into  the  bright  clear  blue  above,  dressed 
in  the  white  robe  of  imputed  righteousness,  bearing 


74  A  VISION  REALIZED 

the  red  mantle  of  Joy  clasped  with  a  golden 
anchor. 

Upon  her  bosom,  suspended  below  this  emblem 
of  Hope,  is  a  Jet  Cross— the  Cross  not  of  Faith 
only  but  also  of  self-denial  and  suffering. 

The  sky  and  ocean  are  symbolical  of  the  storms 
of  life,  and  upon  the  shore  are  strewn  wrecks  of 
earthly  things. 

Christian  Charity, 

the  companion  picture  to  the  ^^rock  of  ages." 

Taking  the  same  scene  of  a  storm-beaten  Cross 
in  the  midst  of  a  raging  sea ;  a  female  clinging,  but 
with  a  more  assured  grasp,  shows  her  grateful 
appreciation  by  assisting  a  sister  straggler,  almost 
gone,  who  has  just  secured  a  feeble  hold.  A  most 
beautiful  exposition  of  that  highest  of  charities— 
true  Christian  charity  which  cares  for  perishing 
souls  around  her. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Social  life  was  not  in  any  way  neglected. 
Though  spending  most  of  his  time  in  his  studio,  he 
made  many  friends  and  took  an  active  interest  in 
public  matters.  His  music  was  kept  up  and  he 
played  his  flute  weekly  with  Dr.  Gorham,  who  also 
played  the  flute,  and  Edwin  Vose,  pianist.  He  had 
with  him  at  various  times  several  pupils  who  came 
in  as  members  of  his  family  and  as  friends.  Among 
these  should  be  mentioned  Miss  Cornelia  A.  Conant 
and  Miss  Mary  Gove,  of  New  York,  and  Edward  L. 
Hyde,  of  Mystic,  Conn.,  afterward  Eev.  E.  L.  Hyde, 
of  Boston,  Mass.  No  more  appreciative  pupil  or 
true  and  stanch  friend  ever  blessed  the  ^^ Master's" 
life  than  *^ Edward."  Through  all  the  years  of  life 
they  were  close  friends  and  regular  correspondents. 
The  ^^ Master"  wrote  to  him  as  he  did  to  no  other, 
and  from  him  always  received  sjonpathy  and 
appreciation.  When  there  came  to  the  notice  of 
^^ Edward"  any  idea  or  scheme  by  which  it  seemed 
possible  the  ^^ Master"  might  benefit,  he  never 
failed  to  bring  it  forward  and  ever  remained  the 
same  true  friend  and  brother. 

In  1902  the  ^^ Master"  writes  him  thus: 
*  *  My  Dear  Friend  of  Many  Years  Ago :    Indeed 
how  long  it  has  been  since  we  lived  and  worked 
together  in  the  Westerly  studio !    And  how  many 


76  A  VISION  REALIZED 

and  varied  have  been  the  experiences  of  each  of  us ! 
In  truth,  I  sometimes,  thinking  back  and  trying  to 
locate  facts,  have  to  unravel  them  like  knotted 
thread  to  get  at  the  proper  sequence.  But  the 
essence,  the  vital  parts,  and  the  prominent  person- 
alities always  stand  out  distinct  in  memory;  and 
surely  your  name  could  never  be  effaced  or  remem- 
bered with  diminished  affection  and  interest." 

The  last  letter  the  '^Master"  wrote  was  penned 
with  trembling  hand  to  this,  his  dearest  friend, 
whose  interest  and  love  had  never  flagged.  All  the 
letters  ever  written  to  this  friend  by  either  the 
^^ Master"  or  his  wife  were  preserved,  and  when  he 
was  informed  that  the  compiling  of  a  biography  of 
Mr.  Oertel  was  contemplated  he  gave  them  all  to 
the  latter 's  sons  to  be  used  in  furthering  the  pur- 
pose. Many  passages  from  these  are  quoted,  and  it 
is  a  matter  of  regret  that  some  can  not  be  given 
entire. 

During  the  stay  in  Westerly  Mr.  Oertel  formed 
a  friendship  with  the  Rev.  John  C.  Middleton,  who 
was  then  rector  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Mystic, 
Conn.  Here  also  was  one  with  whom  he  was  in 
close  sympathy  and  he  was  closely  associated  with 
him  in  later  years  when  rector  of  St.  Paul's  parish, 
Glen  Cove,  L.  I. 

Though  not  a  large  man,  weighing  not  over 
165  lbs.,  Mr.  Oertel  was  very  powerful  and  very 
proud  of  his  strength  and  willing  at  any  time  to 
exhibit  it.  On  one  occasion,  at  a  gathering  of 
friends  when  he  was  alluded  to  as  *^a  small  man" 
he  walked  to  the  center  of  the  room,  placed  his 
hands  on  the  floor,  and  invited  two  of  the  largest 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        77 

men  present  to  stand  on  them.  Those  who  came 
forward  weighed  220  and  236  pounds,  respectively. 
When  they  had  each  placed  a  foot  on  one  of  his 
hands  he  rose  with  them,  carried  them  across  the 
room,  and  gave  them  a  toss  upward  as  he  let  them 
fall  to  the  floor.  He  was  a  very  rapid  walker  and 
never  seemed  to  tire ;  his  stride  was  like  that  of  a 
thoroughbred  horse,  and  this  he  maintained  mile 
after  mile  with  machine-like  regularity.  He  would 
not  ^^keep  step''  with  a  companion,  nor  moderate 
his  speed;  they  must  step  with  him  and  keep  up 
with  him  or  be  left  behind.  Sometimes  he  walked 
over  to  Mystic,  6  miles  distant,  to  see  his  friend 
Middleton,  allowing  himself  one  hour  each  way  and 
always  coming  in  on  time. 

Of  his  home  life  there  is  little  to  relate.  His 
studio  was  his  home,  and  his  work  hours  there  from 
12  to  24,  according  to  the  exigencies  of  the  case. 
He  always  had  a  couch  or  lounge  in  his  room  where 
he  rested  and  slept  either  day  or  night  when 
exhausted  nature  demanded.  He  came  into  the 
house  to  retire  at  any  hour,  from  10  o'clock  p.  m. 
to  daylight— or  not  at  all,  as  was  often  the  case 
when  engaged  on  important  work. 

The  first  call  to  meals  was  seldom  heeded.  When 
the  bell  had  been  rung  for  him  the  family  took  their 
places  at  table  and  waited.  If  he  did  not  come  in 
some  minutes  one  of  the  children  was  sent  to  ask  if 
he  had  heard  the  bell.  Often  he  was  so  absorbed  in 
his  work  that  he  had  not ;  frequently  he  would  say, 
rather  impatiently,  ^^Yes,  I  come,"  in  which  case 
there  was  nothing  to  do  but  wait,  and  continue  to 
wait  imtil  he  appeared.    Often  the  dishes  of  food 


78  A  VISION  REALIZED 

were  returned  to  the  kitchen  to  be  kept  warm  until 
it  pleased  him  to  come.  A  meal  was  never  eaten 
without  him,  for  at  the  table  was  about  the  only 
time  the  family  were  together  and  after  it  was  over 
he  would  often  remain  for  some  time  and  talk. 

Useless  noise  or  chatter  he  could  not  endure  and 
had  little  patience  with  the  children  at  their  play. 
Such  a  thing  as  a  drum,  horn,  or  any  noise-making 
toy  was  a  forbidden  article  in  his  household. 

He  had  infinite  patience  to  bestow  on  his  work, 
but  none  at  all  with  the  petty  annoyances  of  every- 
day life. 

The  bark  of  a  dog  or  the  continuous  cackle  of  a 
hen  would  soon  bring  him  from  his  room  with  the 
impatient  ejaculation  '^ March  off,  you  beast,  and 
stop  your  confounded  noise." 

He  loved  to  talk  of  his  work  to  any  visitor 
who  showed  intelligence  and  appreciation  or  who 
seemed  to  have  an  honest  desire  for  information, 
but  he  shut  up  like  a  clam  in  the  presence  of  those 
who  came  out  of  mere  idle  curiosity  and  who  pre- 
sumed to  know  much  and  to  criticize,  or  as  if  duty 
bound  to  express  admiration. 

At  one  time,  when  he  had  on  the  easel  a  fine 
marine— the  setting  sun  throwing  a  fiood  of  golden 
light  over  a  rough  sea— a  lady  visitor  entered  and 
with  a  glance  at  the  canvas  exclaimed  ^*0h,  how 
pretty!  a  prairie  on  fire!"  He  used  to  tell  this 
anecdote  with  great  gusto,  adding  that  the  funniest 
part  of  it  and  the  joke  on  him  was  that  the  lady 
left  without  changing  her  opinion. 

In  1867  he  took  an  important  step  which  largely 
influenced  his  subsequent  life.    Having  been  for  a 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.        79 

long  time  teaching  a  young  ladies'  Bible  class, 
which  Bible  lessons  had  gradually  taken  the  form 
of  lectures,  and  on  account  of  the  illness  of  the 
rector  being  also  obliged  to  act  as  lay  reader  of  the 
services,  the  rector  pressed  him  to  take  deacon's 
orders,  as  he  was  doing  the  work  of  a  deacon  with- 
out the  authority.  After  much  consideration  he 
consented  and  prepared  at  once  for  his  examina- 
tion. He  was  ordained  to  the  diaconate  in  June, 
1867,  by  Bishop  Clark,  of  Rhode  Island,  under  the 
canon  **for  restricted  deacons,"  and  had  no  inten- 
tion of  going  further  into  the  ministry,  but  only 
desiring  to  make  himself  more  helpful  to  his  rector. 

At  the  end  of  seven  years  it  seemed  imperative 
for  him  to  be  nearer  New  York,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1868  he  removed  to  Tarrytown-on-Hudson. 
It  had  been  his  intention  to  reside  permanently  in 
this  section,  and  property  near  Irvington  had 
previously  been  purchased;  but  in  the  meantime 
the  land  adjoining  had  been  sold  off  to  a  most 
undesirable  class  of  people  and  he  was  forced  to 
dispose  of  his  holding  for  what  it  would  then  bring, 
being,  of  course,  less  than  the  purchase  price. 

The  following  summer  he  went  for  a  short  time 
with  his  brother  Fritz  to  the  Catskill  Mountains, 
and  while  there  met  a  young  lady,  a  student  of  art, 
Miss  Laura  Norwood,  of  Lenoir,  N.  C.  From  her 
he  learned  much  of  the  general  situation  of  the 
South  at  that  time,  and  particularly  of  conditions 
existing  in  her  home  town— the  people  impover- 
ished by  the  war,  without  the  means  to  educate  their 
children ;  the  church  building  having  been  used  as  a 
hospital  by  the  soldiers  and  in  a  most  dilapidated 


80  A  VISION  REALIZED 

and  neglected  condition,  and  no  church  services  held 
for  months  at  a  time. 

She  also  gave  a  glowing  description  of  the 
natural  beauties  and  advantages  of  that  part  of  the 
country— its  grand  and  imposing  mountains,  crys- 
tal streams,  and  forest  of  noble  pines  and  oaks ;  its 
incomparable  climate  and  life-giving  air ;  and  the 
exceeding  cheapness  of  all  the  real  necessities  of 
life. 

All  this  appealed  directly  to  the  mind  of  the 
artist,  the  missionary,  the  lover  of  nature  and  of 
his  fellow-man. 

Here  was  a  land  in  which  he  could  live  on  the 
moderate  income  which  he  had  from  his  publica- 
tions and  go  on  and  paint  his  great  designs ;  here 
he  could  use  his  means  to  the  best  advantage,  and 
here,  being  independent  of  any  remuneration  for 
clerical  services,  he  could  do  the  most  good  for  his 
Church  and  for  his  people. 

The  cry  ^^come  and  help  us"  seemed  to  echo  in 
his  ears,  and  after  his  return  to  Tarrytown  and  a 
consultation  with  his  wife  it  was  decided  to  make 
the  move. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

In  April,  1869,  with  his  family  of  three  chil- 
dren and  his  father  and  mother  he  set  out  for  his 
new  home.  A  tedious  journey  it  was  then—to 
Washington,  D.  C,  by  train ;  stage  across  the  city 
to  the  wharf  at  foot  of  Seventh  Street;  steamer 
down  the  Potomac  River  to  Aquia  Creek;  by  the 
old  Virginia  Midland  Railroad  to  Salisbury,  N.  C, 
and  from  thence  over  the  Western  North  Carolina 
Railroad  to  its  terminus  at  Hickory  (then  ^^ Hick- 
ory Tavern") .  From  this  point  to  Lenoir  the  jour- 
ney had  to  be  made  by  ^* stage." 

Hickory  was  reached  about  noon  of  the  second 
day,  and,  after  a  dinner  of  ham,  eggs,  and  corn 
bread  at  the  ^^ Tavern,"  a  double  log  cabin  then 
kept  by  ^^Snediker,"  all  climbed  into  the  rickety 
stage  and  were  slowly  dragged  over  the  20  miles  of 
miserable  road  by  two  sorry  and  raw-boned  nags, 
relics  of  ante  bellum  days,  to  Lenoir,  the  future 
mountain  home  where  it  was  hoped  so  much  good 
could  be  done  and  so  much  artistic  work  accom- 
plished. Lenoir  at  that  time  was  an  educational 
center  for  that  section  of  the  south,  and  several 
schools  were  there  maintained.  Its  people  were 
impoverished  by  the  war  and  everything  was  in  a 
sad  state  of  dilapidation  and  neglect,  but  here  were 
culture  and  refinement ;  petty  strife  and  bickering. 


82  A  VISION  REALIZED 

so  common  in  the  average  small  town,  were  here 
miknown;  the  place  was  as  yet  mitouched  by  the 
spirit  of  commercialism,  and  those  of  every  sect 
and  opinion  lived  together  in  peace  and  harmony. 
All  were  poor,  so  poverty  was  not  considered ;  all 
needed  help,  so  each  one  helped  his  neighbor.  An 
ideal  place  indeed  it  was  for  such  work  as  he  pro- 
posed to  do  in  art,  an  unlimited  field  it  offered  for 
him  as  a  missionary ;  considering  all  this,  and  that 
his  new  home  was  in  the  midst  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful scenery  in  the  world,  what  wonder  the  artist 
was  enthusiastic  over  the  prospect. 

The  whole  party  went  to  Miss  Norwood's  plan- 
tation home,  ''Oak  Lawn,"  and  were  received  with 
open  arms.  Here  they  remained  until  the  house- 
hold and  studio  goods,  shipped  from  New  York, 
arrived,  when  they  took  up  their  abode  at  the 
rectory,  a  most  unique  little  building  standing  in 
a  grove  of  gigantic  oaks  and  white  pines. 

It  seemed  as  if  the  time  had  at  last  arrived 
when  his  mind  was  to  be  liberated  from  carking 
care  and  from  a  burden  of  liabilities  which,  though 
small  in  themselves,  had  yet  been  insurmountable 
in  the  years  of  struggle  behind  him,  and  that  at 
last  in  peace  and  quiet  he  could  take  up  the  execu- 
tion of  his  great  works  and  bring  them  to  com- 
pletion. He  at  once  began  to  build  a  studio  large 
enough  for  the  proper  execution  of  such  work. 
But  just  here,  when  scarcely  six  months  in  Lenoir, 
and  before  the  studio  was  completed,  came  the  blow 
which  deprived  him  of  his  income,  destroyed  all  his 
hopes,  and  left  him  again  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight 
with  uncertainties,  having  loaded  himself  already 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        83 

with  Church  and  educational  work  in  his  parish 
which  could  not  be  shaken  off,  and  having  also  the 
terrible  drain  of  lawyers'  fees  to  meet.  Among 
other  things,  a  mission  school  had  been  established 
several  miles  in  the  country  for  the  education  of 
the  poor  whites.  He  had  depended  on  his  income 
from  the  publications.  Mr.  James  informed  him 
that  there  was  no  longer  anything  to  be  expected 
from  that  source.  He  wrote  (Nov.  18, 1869)  :  ^^The 
robbers  have  copied  the  'Eock  of  Ages'  in  all  sizes 
and  for  all  prices  and  defy  me  to  my  face,  and  they 
say  that  as  soon  as  I  put  ^Charity'  on  the  market 
they  will  do  the  same  with  that. ' ' 

To  show  the  far-reaching  effect  of  this  blow  to 
him  is  quoted  below  a  letter  written  by  one  of  his 
parishioners  and  signed  ^^ Gratitude." 

^^ME.  OERTEL 'S  ^EOCK  OF  AGES.' 

Artist-Clergyman  in  his  Southern  Home — Faith  exemplified  in  a  life. 
[Correspondence  of  Laura  Lenoir  Norwood  in  the  Journal  of  Commerce.] 

'TiENOiR,  Caldwell  County,  Western  North  Carolina, 

February  5,  1870. 

"In  a  late  number  of  the  Journal  of  Commerce  there  is  an 
account  of  the  lawsuit  in  regard  to  the  copyright  of  Johannes  A. 
OertePs  picture,  *The  Eock  of  Ages,'  and  the  decision  of  the 
court  in  Mr.  Oertel's  favor.  Perhaps,  as  a  lover  of  art,  you  felt 
some  interest  in  the  case,  and  I  think  you  were  glad  that  the 
decision  of  the  court  secured  to  the  gifted  artist  the  proceeds 
of  his  own  work. 

"The  losing  party  in  the  suit  (Mr.  Wood)  is  advised  by  his 
lawyers  to  appeal  and  carry  the  case  into  another  court  or  another 
term  of  the  court,  and  if  he  does  so  the  decision  may  be  reversed, 
or,  if  it  is  affirmed,  the  expenses  of  the  suit  will  be  heavy,  and 
almost  more  than  the  artist  can  sustain. 

"I  see  in  the  artist's  life  a  far  more  beautiful  example  of  the 


84  A  VISION  REALIZED 

power  of  faith  than  any  picture  can  ever  teach;  and  if  you 
could  see  it,  too,  you  would  think  some  of  your  time  and  strength 
well  spent  in  saying  a  word  that  may  very  possibly,  as  I  believe, 
prolong  a  life  so  devoted  to  good  works,  as  well  as  so  honorable 
in  the  record  of  American  art. 

"We  who  see  Mr.  Oertel's  daily  life  among  us  do  not  need 
to  buy  his  lovely  picture  of  'Faith.'  For  the  painter  of  'The 
Rock  of  Ages'  is  the  rector  of  our  little  church;  our  faithful, 
loving  pastor,  who  came  to  us  as  an  unlooked-for  blessing  (when 
we  were  too  poor  to  have  a  minister),  and  asked  that  he  might 
do  us  good  for  Christ's  sake  alone.  The  income  derived  from 
the  publication  of  the  picture  in  question  (though  it  would  seem 
very  small  in  New  York,  as  he  is  only  paid  for  the  copyright), 
was  sufficient  in  our  cheap  country  to  support  his  family  in  the 
simple  way  in  which  they  live,  and  also  to  minister  to  the  wants 
of  many  poor  and  friendless  ones  who  have  learned  to  bless  his 
name.  We  hoped  that  in  the  beauty  of  our  scenery,  our  delight- 
ful climate,  and  the  quiet  and  peace  which  he  loves,  Mr.  Oertel 
might  find  some  pleasures  in  return  for  the  many  advantages 
which  he  gave  up  to  become  our  missionary;  but  we  did  not 
expect  him  to  share  our  poverty  as  well  as  our  loneliness,  and 
to  endure  hardships  which,  alas,  we  can  not  relieve !  For,  indeed, 
we  are  truly  poor  now,  and  the  years  since  the  war  have  done 
nothing  yet  to  build  up  our  desolated  country. 

"You  do  not  want  to  hear  of  this,  and  we  do  not  wish  to 
complain.  Our  lovely  mountain  country  is  too  remote  to  feel 
the  waves  of  returning  prosperity,  but  we  have  learned  to  endure 
patiently  many  hardships  and  to  look  calmly  on  the  graves  of 
our  buried  hopes. 

"You  who  live  in  the  midst  of  so  much  brightness  and  motion, 
and  feel  the  bounding  of  the  pulse  of  life  through  a  great  city, 
can  not  imagine  what  it  is  to  be  as  we  are.  If  you  did  know 
it,  you  would  perhaps  realize  what  a  blessing  Mr.  Oertel's  faith 
has  brought  to  us,  for  he  believes  the  word  of  our  Saviour,  that 
it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.  And  he  gives  us  the 
comfort  we  most  dearly  prize  in  his  faithful  and  loving  minis- 
trations. 

"You  perhaps  know  that  Mr.  Oertel  is  a  clergyman  of  the 
Episcopal  Church,  but  no  one  to  hear  that  he  is  both  artist  and 
minister  would  think  that  he  could  accomplish  so  much  good 
in  the  latter  character  as  he  does. 

"Real  devotion  and  unsparing  self-denial  for  Christ's  sake 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       85 

are  so  rare  in  our  time  that  one  must  see  the  results  of  such 
a  life  in  order  to  believe  in  it. 

"The  members  of  this  parish  feel  themselves  unworthy  of 
the  treasure  which  they  possess  in  such  a  pastor,  and  the  earnest 
and  beautiful  sermons  which  go  straight  to  the  hearts  of  his 
people  are  made  more  eifective  by  the  thought  that  they  are 
generally  written  in  the  silent  hours  of  the  night,  after  a  day 
of  hard  work  in  a  profession  which  certainly  taxes  the  brain  not 
lightly.  Heaven  knows  we  would  gladly  save  our  pastor  from 
some  of  the  hardships  which  he  endures  for  our  sakes,  but  it 
seems  that  there  is  no  selfishness  in  his  heart  to  which  we  can 
appeal.  The  poor,  the  sorrowing,  the  troubled  are  around  him, 
and  he  will  love  them  and  help  them ;  the  ignorant  are  here  and 
he  will  teach  them;  and  his  gentle  wife  is  ever  ready  to  aid  in 
every  new  labor  of  love.  Is  it  not  enough  that  he  must  bear 
on  his  heart  the  burdens  of  others,  that  all  beyond  a  mere  main- 
tenance is  freely  given  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  that  his  life 
is  one  of  constant  toil,  but  must  his  means  of  living  be  taken 
from  him  now,  when  the  locks  are  whitening  on  his  temples? 

"He  has  struggled  through  long  years  of  poverty  and  trial, 
true  always  to  his  high  ideal  of  Christian  art,  and  true  to 
himself  in  the  childlike  simplicity  and  unquestioning  faith  which 
have  upheld  him,  and  is  he  not  entitled  to  enjoy  what  is  his 
own,  and  was  so  dearly  earned? 

"Is  it  only  a  question  of  money  that  will  be  decided  in  this 
suit  when  the  appeal  is  taken? 

"Gratitude." 

Great  as  this  disappointment  and  serious  the 
situation,  it  must  be  met. 

If  he  must ' '  depend  on  his  brush, ' '  as  Mr.  James 
said,  he  would  *^make  it  fly,"  and  Mrs.  Oertel  at 
once  appealed  to  friends  at  the  North  for  assistance 
in  their  parish  work.  ^^But  oh,''  she  writes  a 
friend,  ^^the  Church  work  and  everybody  besides 
so  needs  hard  cash  that  I  can  not  help  wish  for  it. 
Our  work  so  grows  upon  us  that  we  are  perfectly 
appalled.  The  mission  school  list  has  now  increased 
to  about  50  names;  we  have  Sunday  school  out 


86  A  VISION  REALIZED 

there,  too.  I  go  out  three  times  each  week,  and 
that  makes  a  weekly  walk  of  about  17  miles.  We 
do  so  much  need  teachers  for  this  and  other  schools, 
both  white  and  colored.  We  have  now  in  these 
schools  nearly  200  under  instructions.  Oh,  for 
more  fellow- workers ! ' ' 

Thus  it  was  that  the  minister's  wife  met  this 
emergency,  by  thorough  cooperation  in  all  of  his 
undertakings,  by  personal  self-sacrifice  and  unre- 
mitting toil,  and  be  it  remembered  all  was  a  gift,  all 
was  done ' '  In  His  Name, ' '  without  money  and  with- 
out price.  Not  only  this,  they  continued  to  give 
from  their  slender  means.  None  who  asked  went 
away  empty  handed  so  long  as  there  was  anything 
left  to  give. 

When  he  had  money,  during  the  first  months,  he 
was  what  might  be  termed  extravagant,  but  not  in 
the  indulgence  of  himself  or  family.    He  writes  in 

one  of  his  letters,  ''I  have  lent  Mr $400  to  buy 

a  farm.  It  is  a  great  privilege  to  be  able  to  help  so 
worthy  a  man.''  This  was  ^4ent,"  but  so  far  as  is 
known  was  never  returned  and  never  asked  for. 
Groceries  were  ordered  in  quantity  from  New  York 
and  the  poor  country  folk  came  to  the  rectory  for 
their  coffee,  sugar,  medicine,  etc.,  as  they  would  to 
a  store,  except  that  at  the  store  they  would  have  to 
trade  in  some  of  their  meagre  stock  of  produce— 
a  chicken,  some  eggs,  or  medicinal  roots  dug  in 
the  mountains— here  it  was  freely  given,  and  in 
the  pastor's  wife  they  found  a  ready  listener  to 
all  their  tales  of  woe  and  were  always  sure  from 
her  to  receive  words  of  encouragement  and  sym- 
pathy. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.        87 

When  the  crash  came  and  the  flow  of  money 
stopped,  these  pensioners  did  not ;  nor  did  they  seem 
to  understand  how  it  could  be  that  there  was  not 
the  usual  sack  of  coffee  and  barrel  of  sugar  from 
which  to  supply  their  needs.  They  continued  to 
come  as  usual  with  empty  baskets,  which  seldom  if 
ever  went  out  of  the  rectory  grounds  in  the  same 
state.  Notes  like  these  frequently  went  from  house 
to  studio:  '^ Johnny,  give  B.  a  dollar  to  buy  some 
^shucks'  for  his  cow."  ^^Give  H.  some  money 
to-day;  they  are  all  sick,"  etc. 

Considerable  in  the  way  of  contributions  for 
the  parish  was  sent  by  friends  at  the  North,  both 
in  money,  clothes,  and  various  articles  which  it  was 
thought  might  be  of  use.  One  kindly  disposed  lady 
forwarded  a  ^^case  of  Shaker  bonnets"  for  the  mis- 
sion school  children.  Those  who  know  the  **po' 
whites"  can  picture  them  wearing  ^^ Shaker  bon- 
nets." The  people  of  Christ  Church,  Tarrytown, 
having  put  in  a  new  organ  in  the  church  there,  sent 
down  their  old  one,  the  same  instrument  mentioned 
by  Washington  Irving  in  one  of  his  letters.  It  was 
a  complete  wreck,  but  Mr.  Oertel  with  his  own 
hands  rebuilt  it,  making  new  pipes,  a  new  wind 
chest  and  bellows,  and  then  a  carved  and  illiuni- 
nated  case.  It  was  placed  in  the  church  and  is  there 
doing  duty  still.  He  also  made  for  the  church  a 
carved  reredos  and  altar.  This  was  his  first  attempt 
at  wood  carving.  He  did  not  have  to  learn  to 
carve;  he  just  did  it.  As  he  once  said,  '*It  is 
perfectly  simple;  what  I  want  is  in  the  wood; 
all  I  have  to  do  is  to  cut  away  what  don't  belong 
there." 


88  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Description  of  the  Eeredos  in  St.  James'  Church 
Lenoir,  N.  C. 

[Written  by  Clinton  A.  Cilley.] 

**Eev.  Mr.  Oertel  on  Christmas  day  placed  in 
the  chancel  of  St.  James'  Church  the  result  of 
nearly  two  years'  labor,  and  presented  it  to  the 
church. 

^^The  work  consists  of  a  painting  and  its  frame. 
The  painting,  on  a  backgi^ound  of  gold,  shows  the 
Saviour  offering  bread  and  wine  to  a  male  and  a 
female  communicant,  and  is  characterized  by  the 
same  depth  of  religious  feeling  and  faithfulness  of 
rendering  that  in  his  former  paintings  have  given 
the  distinguished  artist  so  high  a  rank  among  the 
professors  of  Christian  art. 

^^  Beautiful  as  is  the  picture,  however,  it  is  more 
than  matched  by  the  exquisitely  carved  and  elab- 
orated frame.  This  is  an  architectural  design,  and 
reminds  one  of  the  portal  of  some  mediaeval  cathe- 
dral. There  are  the  arch  and  pillars  of  the  door- 
way, the  buttresses,  the  sloping  roof,  the  lofty 
spires,  and  the  cross  that  crowns  the  structure. 
Over  the  picture,  forming  the  arch,  is  a  strikingly 
natural  representation  in  chestnut  wood  of  grapes 
and  heads  of  wheat,  the  fruit,  the  foliage,  and  even 
the  tendrils  of  the  former  being  carved  with  an 
exactness  that  would  be  surprising  even  were  the 
material  better  adapted  to  a  work  of  such  infinite 
delicacy.  The  slopes  of  the  roof  are  adorned  with 
crockets,  seemingly  alike,  but  in  truth  each  in  some 
slight  particular  varying  from  the  other.  On  each 
side  of  the  roof  are  pinnacles ;  back  of  them  stand 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       89 

two  angels  with  wings  folded  as  if  they  had  just 
alighted  there;  and  crowning  the  whole  towers  a 
double  cross. 

''On  every  part  of  this  masterpiece,  composed 
of  over  400  pieces  of  wood,  chestnut,  oak,  poplar, 
holly,  cherry,  beech,  and  pine,  where  work  could 
be  put  it  has  been  lavished.  Every  part  susceptible 
of  ornamentation  has  been  beautified  by  the  touch 
of  carving  tools  wielded  as  deftly  as  the  artist's 
brush. 

''Flowers  of  many  kinds  are  here;  the  rose  and 
cactus  blush  in  cherry  and  the  tulip  blooms  in  yellow 
poplar,  while  over  various  parts  of  the  structure 
the  climbing  ivy  throws  its  veil.  No  carving  of  so 
lofty  design  or  so  skilful  workmanship  beautifies 
the  chancel  of  any  church  in  America,  and  the 
costly  cathedrals  of  Europe  can  boast  of  few  orna- 
ments as  splendid  as  this. 

"No  description  can  do  it  justice,  and  to  see  it 
will  well  repay  a  visit  to  our  mountain  town." 

In  the  meanwhile  the  necessities  of  the  parish 
seemed  to  make  it  imperative  that  he  should  take 
priest's  orders.  The  bishop  especially  desired  it, 
and  he  finally  yielded  and  bent  himself  to  the 
preparatory  study.  He  was  ordained  by  Bishop 
Atkinson,  August,  1871. 

In  addition  to  the  parish  at  Lenoir  he  had  two 
mission  stations  at  which  he  held  services  on  alter- 
nate Sundays.  The  "Chapel  of  Peace,"  the  mission 
before  mentioned,  3  miles  south  of  the  village,  and 
another  station  in  the  Yadkin  Valley,  8  miles  dis- 
tant. This  Chapel  of  Peace  was  built  by  contribu- 
tion from  friends  at  a  distance  and  voluntary  work 


90  A  VISION  REALIZED 

of  the  people.  When  nearly  completed  it  was 
wrecked  by  a  severe  storm,  but,  imdamited  by  the 
disaster  the  rector  and  his  helpers  rebuilt  it.  This 
work  from  its  inception  was  attended  with  the 
greatest  difficulties.  First  a  day  and  Sunday  school 
was  started  and  soon  had  an  attendance  of  over  40 
scholars;  this  was  held  in  a  ramshackle  old  log 
schoolhouse.  The  teachers  were  all  voluntary 
workers,  and  one  might  have  thought  that  such  a 
chance  for  education  would  have  been  welcomed  by 
all;  but  there  were  many  who  opposed  the  move- 
ment. All  sorts  of  stories  were  circulated  amongst 
the  poor  ignorant  people.  ^^The  children  would  be 
taken  away  as  soon  as  sufficient  hold  on  them  was 
obtained,  and  killed. ' '  Another  story  was  that  they 
would  be  taken  to  town  and  ^^made  to  worship  the 
golden  calf."  Such  was  the  depth  of  ignorance 
and  superstition  among  these  poor  people. 

The  farmer  who  owned  the  land  on  which  the 
schoolhouse  stood  at  last  refused  to  allow  it  to  be 
used  for  the  purpose.  Then  it  was  that  a  move  was 
made  to  build.  Friends  at  the  North  contributed 
liberally  and  by  dint  of  persistent  effort  on  the  part 
of  the  rector  and  his  faithful  people  it  was  at  last 
completed  and  a  school  maintained  for  many  years. 

In  order  that  those  of  his  parish  might  have  the 
advantages  thus  afforded  and  in  the  general  inter- 
est of  education,  he  decided  to  establish  a  school  for 
girls.  This  was  done,  and  the  first  session  opened 
February  26,  1872,  Miss  Mary  A.  Massenberg 
teacher  of  the  English  branches  and  Miss  M.  Mag- 
dalena  Oertel  teacher  of  French  and  music,  under 
the  name  of  **St.  James'  School  for  Girls." 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       91 

It  was  the  intention  of  the  rector  to  advance  the 
interests  of  the  school  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  to 
make  it  a  diocesan  institute.  By  this  was  meant 
that  the  grounds  and  buildings  contemplated  should 
be  deeded  to  the  diocese  and  be  subject  to  the 
authority  of  the  bishop  and  such  trustees  as  he 
might  appoint. 

In  this  undertaking  no  effort  was  spared  to 
reduce  expenses  to  pupils  to  the  minimum.  It  was 
continuous  self-denial  on  the  part  of  all  the  workers 
concerned  in  the  interest  of  Church  education. 

The  rector  gave  his  time  and  contributed  also 
in  money;  his  wife  opened  her  house  to  the  girls 
and  cared  for  those  who  boarded  there  as  for  her 
own,  having  nothing  in  return  save  the  bare  cost  of 
board,  based  on  the  lowest  estimate,  and  which  in 
fact  often  failed  to  meet  expenses. 

The  teachers  worked  for  a  mere  pittance.  Miss 
Massenberg  having  only  $100  per  year,  her  board 
and  lodging  being  contributed  by  the  rector.  His 
daughter  had  no  regular  salary,  turning  back  most 
of  what  she  received  into  the  fund  for  the  building 
up  of  the  school. 

It  was  opened  in  the  vestry  room  of  the  church, 
but  by  superhuman  efforts  a  school  room  was  built 
on  to  the  rectory,  and  though  still  unfinished  was 
occupied  by  the  end  of  the  first  session. 

In  1873  the  name  of  the  school  was  changed  to 
*  ^  St.  Euphemia  's  Hall, "  as  it  was  not  for  St.  James ' 
parish  alone. 

During  1874  it  was  under  the  direction  of  Eev. 
C.  T.  Bland.  About  a  year  later  the  whole  scheme 
had  to  be  abandoned  for  lack  of  f imds  and  support. 


92  A  VISION  REALIZED 

A  failure  ?  Yes ;  from  one  point  of  view  it  was. 
It  struggled  into  existence,  its  existence  was  a  con- 
stant struggle,  and  it  died  for  want  of  strength  to 
live. 

But  w^hen  it  is  considered  what  was  accom- 
plished during  the  time  of  life  can  it  be  classed  as 
a  failure  ? 

Many  of  the  girls  received  education  and  train- 
ing absolutely  free,  and  but  for  this  would  have 
had  none.  Indeed,  no  one  was  turned  away ;  if  they 
could  pay  the  moderate  amount  charged  for  tuition 
and  board,  well  and  good;  if  they  could  not,  the 
school  and  the  home  of  the  rector  were  open  to 
them  just  the  same. 

It  is  impossible  for  those  who  were  in  that  school 
and  in  that  home  not  to  have  carried  the  teaching 
and  influence  through  life  to  their  own  benefit. 
Here  again  must  ^^bookkeeping  be  kept  by  double 
entry;  one  for  this  world,  one  for  the  next." 

The  rector  and  his  wife  never  regretted  having 
made  the  effort,  much  as  it  cost  them. 

Contributions  were  at  times  made  by  interested 
friends,  but  the  main  burden  of  the  undertaking 
was  borne  by  the  rector  and  his  devoted  wife  and 
daughter. 

Had  he  received  from  the  Church  at  large  the 
cooperation  the  movement  deserved,  the  result 
would  have  been  quite  different. 

Parish  duties  now  took  much  of  his  time.  The 
strain  has  been  so  great,  of  study  and  disappoint- 
ment—study to  prepare  for  his  examination  for  the 
priesthood  and  disappointment  in  regard  to  his 
publications  and  the  outcome  of  the  lawsuits  which 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       93 

deprived  him  of  the  means  to  carry  out  his  plans 
both  in  art  and  for  the  good  of  his  people— that 
his  health  gave  way  and  he  suffered  desperately 
with  his  head,  so  much  so  that  physicians  feared 
softening  of  the  brain.  And  what  wonder.  Even 
his  iron  constitution  and  strength  which  enabled 
him  to  handle  dumb-bells  of  50  pounds  each  as  if 
they  were  toys  could  not  stand  what  he  forced  him- 
self to  do.  For  instance,  after  a  week  of  work  from 
6  a.  m.  until  early  morning  hours,  he  presided  over 
the  Sunday  school  at  9  o'clock  on  Sunday,  held 
services  at  11  o'clock,  rushed  home  to  a  hasty  lunch 
and  then  mounted  his  horse  for  a  ten-mile  ride  over 
the  mountains  to  the  Yadkin  Vallley,  where  he 
held  service  at  3  p.  m.  and  then  rode  home  again, 
often  arriving  late  at  night.  This  was  his  ''day 
of  rest"! 

His  sermons  were  usually  written  on  Saturday 
night  and  it  was  often  daylight  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing before  he  came  in  the  house  to  rest.  No  call  of 
distress  was  unheeded  by  day  or  by  night,  in  fair 
weather  or  in  foul,  over  rough  roads,  mountain 
paths,  and  swollen  streams,  on  horseback  or  on  foot, 
he  visited  the  poor  and  needy,  giving  comfort,  sym- 
pathy, and  help. 

He  had  made  something  of  a  study  of  medicine 
and  so  doctored  the  body  as  well  as  the  soul,  giving 
in  this  as  in  all  else  to  all  who  asked  or  needed. 

In  writing  of  his  condition  at  this  time  Mrs. 
Oertel  says : 

''His  brain  is  in  very  bad  condition ;  he  schemes 
continually,  in  such  an  impatient  way ;  everything 
annoys  and  irritates  him ;  he  works,  works,  works, 


94  A  VISION  REALIZED 

and  plans,  plans,  plans  in  the  fiercest  and  most  ex- 
cited manner.    I  fear  softening  of  the  brain." 

Dr.  Perkins  told  him  ^*You  must  rein  in  your 
horses  or  they  will  run  away  with  you"  and  this 
they  seemed  to  be  doing. 

But  his  work  was  not  yet  done.  He  changed  his 
manner  of  working,  took  more  sleep,  and  at  last 
recovered. 

Still  he  continued  to  do  double  duty,  keeping  up 
with  all  the  details  of  parish  work  and  at  the  same 
time  doing  everything  possible  with  brush  and 
pencil  that  would  bring  in  the  money  so  sadly 
needed. 

His  friends  urged  him  to  rest  and  take  a  trip 
into  the  higher  mountain  country.  To  this  he  con- 
sented, and  spent  some  two  weeks  on  horseback 
riding  through  that  magnificent  region. 

In  later  years  he  wrote  a  description  of  this 
trip  imder  the  caption  ^^On  horseback  through  the 
mountains"  from  which  it  is  well  to  quote  a  few 
passages,  as  the  artist  shows  in  these  pen  pictures 
quite  as  plainly,  and  with  as  much  strength,  as  ever 
with  brush  or  pencil. 

'^ There  they  were,"  he  says,  *'the  Grandfather, 
the  Eoan,  the  Table  Eock,  Hawksbill,  and  the  Black 
Range.  I  had  been  wont  to  gaze  often  across  the 
many  miles  at  their  ethereal  summits,  lifting  them- 
selves with  a  giant  repose  and  power  high  over  their 
companions,  often  with  that  peculiar  wistful  emo- 
tion that  seizes  the  mind  when  alone  on  the  ocean 
shore  on  a  still  day  and  an  unbroken  mystery  of 
deep  blue  like  the  mantle  of  eternity  spread  upon 
the  far  outreaching  waters. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.       95 

^^  Mountains  and  sea  have  a  certain  kinship  not- 
withstanding their  opposite  character.  They  be- 
guile the  susceptible  soul  into  similar  moods.  So 
does  the  clear  unfathomable  sky.  So  does  the 
mighty  firmament  with  its  miracles  of  glory. 
Whatever  invites  the  mind  to  excursions  into  vast 
expanse,  draws  it  onward,  out  of  itself  and  away 
far  off  to  where  the  distance  hides  the  unknown  and 
maybe  the  unattainable,  stirs  up  a  strange  and  irre- 
sistible longing,  a  sad  delight,  a  delirium  of  wakeful 
dreaming,  feeling  from  the  night  of  our  earthly 
prison  with  the  antennae  of  the  spirit  for  news 
from  the  unseen  world. 

^^Do  you  know  why  in  the  symbolism  of  color 
blue  is  the  emblem  of  truth  ?  It  is  the  blue  we  look 
into  when  striving  to  penetrate  the  distance,  the 
ocean,  the  sky.  But  what  we  gaze  into  seems  to 
recede  more,  to  grow  deeper,  to  become  more  un- 
searchable. 

^^The  peaks  on  the  horizon,  massive  and  yet 
unsubstantial  in  their  glorification  of  trans- 
parent blue;  the  indigo  line  of  the  sea  that  cuts 
with  a  straight  razor  edge  your  inquisitive 
stare  into  what  lies  beyond;  the  vast  empyrean 
that  seems  so  near  and  only  tells  you  when  at 
night  the  remote  myriads  of  nebulae  astonish 
the  astronomer  as  he  watches  through  the  powerful 
telescope  that  no  one  has  ever  yet  looked  to  its 
limits— these  all  conceal  the  knowledge  which  in 
part  only  they  reveal. 

^^Blue  signifies  mystery.  What  is  remote,  with- 
held from  the  vision  and  hidden,  is  wrapped  in  a 
veil  of  blue,  the  *  daughter  of  darkness  and  of  the 


96  A  VISION  REALIZED 

light'— emblem  of  truth,  which  is  made  known  and 
yet  forever  disclosing  itself. 

^^  And  so  in  the  wondrous  trinity  of  colors  it  sig- 
nifies the  Divine  Spirit,  the  Revealer  of  secrets,  the 
Giver  of  knowledge,  the  Fountain  of  wisdom,  the 
Incomprehensible,  Unknowable,  the  All  encom- 
passing." 

He  had  as  guide  and  companion  a  genuine  old- 
time  planter  who  was  enthusiastic  over  this  moun- 
tain country,  and  owned  a  considerable  estate 
among  those  ^^ fixed  billows  of  the  earth."  Of  him 
he  says:  ^^Now  this  excellent  and  educated  gentle- 
man was  just  the  guide  I  wanted.  None  other  than 
an  enthusiast  can  be  your  best  leader  and  teacher 
in  any  matter.  Beware  of  machine  men  when  you 
wish  to  learn.  They  will  give  you,  with  all  honesty 
in  the  giving,  nothing  but  husks.  It  is  all  they  have 
and  are  capable  of  knowing.  They  stick  to  outside 
as  if  it  were  covered  with  burrs  or  pitch.  The 
secret  to  read  the  inner  life— the  soul— of  things 
they  have  not  the  talisman  to  discover.  But  my 
friend  was  aglow  from  head  to  foot  with  this  sub- 
ject. He  was  in  love  with  it— and  people  can  not 
be  in  love  without  a  heart.  Those  mountains  spoke 
in  majestic  tone  to  his  affections.  They  had  been 
his  faithful  companions  for  many  years.  They 
showed  him  their  hidden  beauties.  They  whis- 
pered into  his  ear  their  tales  of  stored-up  treas- 
ures. He  knew  each  twist  in  the  links  of  their 
tremendous  chain,  the  intricate  sinuosity  of  their 
passes  and  paths  and  roads,  the  names  of  their 
cliffs,  the  flow  and  individuality  of  their  sparkling 
waters,  their  varied,  abundant  verdure,  and  the 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.       97 

signs  they  hang  out  aroimd  their  summits  as  proph- 
esies of  sunshine  or  storm.  He  also  was  com- 
municative without  garrulity,  a  traveler  accus- 
tomed to  the  horse,  attentive,  polite,  acquainted 
with  the  manners  of  the  people  and  easily  satisfied 
with  their  fare  and  accommodations.  I  was 
fortunate  in  having  such  a  guide." 

Mr.  Oertel  was  a  great  admirer  of  the  horse, 
fond  of  riding  and  at  home  in  the  saddle.  After 
describing  his  mount  on  this  occasion  he  says: 
^^And  when  a  man  feels  the  living  moving  power 
under  him  that  obeys  his  every  wish— the  untamed 
woods  about  him,  a  promising  sky  overhead— and 
has  just  enough  money  in  his  pocket  for  moderate 
fare  and  an  excellent  feeling  of  independence  and 
manly  energy  does  not  quicken  his  pulse,  put  a  rod 
of  steel  into  his  back  and  fire  and  gladness  into  his 
eye,  he  is  not  fit  to  travel  among  the  ramparts  of 
liberty  nor  ride  the  noble  beast  of  war  and  the 
desert,  but  deserves  to  have  his  joints  cracked,  his 
bowels  churned,  and  his  soft  brains  beaten  like  bat- 
ter on  the  back  of  a  vicious  mule  that  now  and  then 
can  salute  his  brother  with  low-dropped  jaw  by  his 
renowned  philosophic  exclamation." 

He  speaks  first  of  the  timber  growth,  which  he 
describes  as  being  ''of  a  size  that  dwarfs  the  woods 
about  New  York  into  respectable  shrubs." 

''Think,"  he  says,  "of  the  gorgeous  rhododen- 
dron shooting  up  snake-like  trunks  to  the  height  of 
16  and  18  feet  before  the  glossy  spear-headed 
foliage  expands  itself  in  clustered  masses  with 
purple  magnificence  of  bloom  on  the  end  of  every 
branch !    And  then  imagine  whole  slopes  covered  in 


98  A  VISION  REALIZED 

June  with  that  wealth  of  royal  splendor;  the 
somber  blush  of  sunset  cloud  spread  out  on  moun- 
tain side;  hemlocks  stretching  between  the  main 
spurs  of  the  *' Grandfather"  for  a  number  of  miles 
and  which  my  experienced  guide  computed  of  an 
average  diameter  of  4  feet ;  some  prostrate  colossals 
over  which,  20  and  30  feet  from  their  roots,  we 
could  scarcely  see  as  we  attempted  to  surmount 
them ;  the  spindling  weeds  of  the  lowlands  here  con- 
stituting a  forest  smiling  the  praises  of  the  gen- 
erous bosom  that  nourishes  them. 

^^Our  first  objective  point  was  the  Grandfather 
mountain.  For  many  months  I  had  seen  its  impos- 
ing outline  toward  the  setting  sun.  It  heaved  up 
over  the  lesser  ridges  with  a  commanding,  wide- 
spreading,  angular  severity,— a  salient  feature  in 
the  wavy  blue  that  could  be  traced  from  the  Vir- 
ginia line  on  the  North  to  almost  that  of  South 
Carolina  in  the  Southwest. 

^'The  name  it  bears  is  not  a  mere  fancy;  indeed 
I  do  not  know  but  there  is  in  that  name  a  poetic 
appropriateness,  whether  intended  or  not,  more 
far-reaching  than  it  has  in  the  mouth  of  people 
who  use  it  so  often.  Seen  from  the  south  or  north, 
the  long  profile  of  the  mountain  exhibits  in  a  clear- 
cut  outline  the  features  of  a  bearded  man.  It  is  a 
remarkable  face:  the  high  intellectual  forehead; 
the  nose  of  projecting  aquiline  strength;  the  dis- 
tinctly marked  moustache  shading  a  firm  mouth; 
the  chin  rising  from  a  bold  depression  and  ending 
in  a  long  beard— a  grand,  calm,  majestic  face,  up- 
turned to  the  sky  as  if  the  enormous  giant  were 
lying  in  solemn  repose  on  his  back,  the  undulating 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.        99 

length  of  his  body  stretching  westward  for  near  a 
hundred  miles  in  the  continuation  of  the  ''Blue 
Eidge. "  It  is  no  mere  knob  or  piece  of  rock,  but  a 
whole  mountain  somewhat  higher  than  Mount 
Washington  in  New  Hampshire,  a  face  of  truly 
colossal,  godlike  dimensions  such  as  Milton  scarcely 
fancied  when  he  extolled  the  tall  stature  of  his 
prince  of  fallen  spirits ;  dwindling  into  dwarfs  the 
Genii  rising  from  the  uncorked  bottle  in  the  Ara- 
bian Nights,  or  the  fabled  bird  of  the  Talmud  that 
stood  in  the  deepest  part  of  the  ocean  with  the  water 
reaching  only  to  his  knees.  The  gods  and  heroes  of 
the  Iliad  are  microscopic  pygmies  compared  to  it. 
That  is  something  of  a  face,  tossing  up  its  features 
for  about  seven  miles,  with  a  horned  helmet  at  the 
upper  end  of  several  miles  more.  You  will  grant 
that  old  North  Carolina  contains  a  veritable  and 
most  venerable  giant ! 

''And  think  how  long  he  has  lain  there  and 
looked  up  with  the  same  unchanging  profile  at  the 
silent  stars!  The  nations  of  the  earth  are  mere 
ephemera  to  him.  Their  boasted  empires  are  insti- 
tutions like  the  dissolving  pictures  of  a  stereopti- 
con.  He  counted  his  many  untold  ages  already 
when  the  Sphinx  began  to  raise  his  mysterious  head 
and  the  pyramids  were  piled  against  the  sky. 

"Brief  four  thousand  years  have  left  upon  their 
flinty  sides  the  traces  of  decay ;  but  he  reposes  now 
as  green  and  strong  and  young  as  when  he  saw  the 
day  on  which  creation  smiled  first  upon  the  pure 
primeval  human  pair.  The  sun's  determined  fire 
that  beat  into  his  face  with  each  recurring  summer 
scorched  there  no  scars.    The  bitter  blasts  of  winter 


100  A  VISION  REALIZED 

for  all  these  centuries  have  not  disturbed  his 
solemn  calm.  Ten  thousand  tempests  raging  in 
untamed  fury  over  him  could  not  so  much  as  cause 
one  wrinkle  on  that  mighty  brow.  The  lightning 
spent,  the  thunder  still,  the  clouds  roll  off  and  leave 
him  gazing  in  primitive  sereneness  as  ever  he  had 
done. 

'^However  often  and  again  the  flames  like  mon- 
strous serpents  run  up  his  sides  and  lay  the  forest 
waste,  they  only  singe  the  down  upon  his  cheeks  but 
can  not  harm  the  unmoved  giant's  form.  The 
earliest  kiss  of  morning  ray  bathes  him  in  rosy 
light,  and  the  departing  king  of  day  robes  him  in 
purple  melancholy.  He  smiles  or  he  is  sad,  or  stern 
and  dark  and  lowering,  or  covered  dreamily  as  with 
a  veil  for  sleep— but  there  is  always  the  same  grand 
godlike  impassiveness  of  line ;  his  moods  are  things 
of  surface  only  that  ruffle  not  his  majesty  of  mien. 

'^And  pray  of  what  might  he  be  thinking? 
What  does  he  see  with  all  that  steadfast  upward 
look  ?  Most  certainly  he  contemplates  not  anything 
of  earth!  That  gaze  must  be  a  silently  adoring 
seraph's  in  waiting  before  the  *  great  white 
throne.'  What  are  to  him  the  noisy  strifes  of 
men  ?  What  care  has  he  for  change  of  kings  and 
politics  and  for  the  schemes  that  surge  the  millions 
here  below  ? 

^' Their  history  resolved  its  tortuous  troubled 
length  around  the  globe,  a  trail  of  blood  and  woe,  of 
toil,  and  tears,  and  death,  unheeded  all  by  him. 
The  wild  red  man  that  tracked  in  ages  past  the 
panther  and  the  wolf  across  his  brow ;  and  now  the 
white  that  pops  the  rifle  on  his  face  at  deer  and 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      101 

prowling  bear,  are  both  to  him  alike.  He  marks 
their  habitation  with  stalwart  ruggedness,  and 
keeps  his  watch  in  awful  solitude.  His  thoughts 
are  up  on  high.  He  never  turns  for  aught  on  earth 
but  with  an  everlasting  glance  he  looks  full  hard 
into  the  infinite— by  day  and  night,  in  storm  and 
calm,  from  age  to  age,  with  only  one  long,  great, 
unfathomable  thought  of  dread  Divinity." 

In  describing  the  ascent  of  this  grand  peak  he 
speaks  of  the  last  quarter  mile  being  the  roughest 
part  of  the  work  ^'requiring  a  sharp,  determined 
conflict,  like  many  another  enterprise  in  the  battles 
of  mind  and  matter,  that  reserves  the  most  formi- 
dable opposition  for  near  its  summit."  *  *  *  ^^The 
dark  and  solemn  balsam  fir  was  now  the  dominant 
growth.  It  veils  the  mountain's  brow  with  massive 
shade— a  somber  gloom  of  earnestness  becoming 
to  the  contemplative  mood  of  ^Grandfather'  who 
rests  as  on  a  pillow  upon  the  sportive  shades  the 
changing  woods  put  on  far  down  around  his  base ; 
the  downy,  mellow,  delicately  varied  gown  of  infant 
Spring;  the  emerald  fulness  and  fresh,  exultant 
strength  of  Summer;  the  gorgeous  symphony  of 
tint  that  paints  the  robe  of  the  expiring  year ;  and 
the  sweet  nunlike  grey  of  Winter  that  holds  in 
cloistered  seclusion  for  a  few  short  months  impa- 
tient, budding  life.  But  that  mighty  Pace  above 
wears  one  unchanging  hue  of  darksome  green. 
The  innumerable  company  of  closely  serried  pines 
are  the  only  fit  emblem  of  its  calm,  strong  stability 
of  mood.  And  as  the  eye  drops  down  the  vast  sweep 
and  mounts  up  again  at  the  further  crest  that  be- 
gins the  formation  of  ^Grandfather's'  face,  the 


102  A  VISION  REALIZED 

pointed  cones  crowd  as  thick  as  grass  and  all  their 
millions  bend  with  one  obedient  impulse  to  the 
south,  not  infrequently  blasted  by  the  power  that 
rules  up  there  with  rude  violence,  the  northwest 
storm. 

^*  Every  tree-top  inclines  fixedly  in  one  direction 
and  tells  its  story  of  struggle  and  battle-scarred 
endurance.  The  pine  is  the  only  tree  for  such  a  life. 
God  made  it  for  the  hard  places  of  the  earth. 

*^At  last  the  lessening  pines  let  the  sky  appear 
overhead,  and  a  sharp  turn  through  the  dense  brush 
brought  us  out  upon  the  summit. 

^*Did  you  ever  step  upon  the  giddy  edge  of  a 
high  mountain  in  that  sudden  way"?  It  is  very 
much  like  launching  bodily  into  space  and  sends  a 
thrill  of  surprised  ecstasy  through  the  frame,  an 
electric  tingling  in  every  nerve  as  if  all  at  once  the 
solid  ground  had  vanished  from  under  the  feet  and 
one  were  floating  in  air. 

'^  Above,  below,  and  round  about,  everything  is 
blue.  The  mountain  base  itself  looks  unsubstantial. 
It  is  swimming  on  a  heaving  sea. 

^^  There  was  but  just  room  enough  for  our  small 
company  of  three  among  the  rocks  and  bushes 
where  the  absence  of  pines  left  a  free  outlook.  I 
had  a  seat  of  heather  as  springy  as  can  be  found  on 
the  mountains  of  Scotland ;  rather  a  luxury  among 
the  North  Carolina  ranges  where  it  grows  only  here 
and  there  on  the  lofty  summits. 

^' There  I  sat  and  looked— and  the  look  was 
almost  supersensuous  delight.  But  do  not  expect 
a  rhapsody  on  what  I  saw !  What  idea  can  the  most 
picturesque  word-painting  convey  of  such  a  scene 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      103 

unless  you  have  beheld  something  similar'?  And  if 
you  have— then— well,  recall  vividly  the  sight!  It 
will  not  be  exactly  like  the  one  from  'Grandfather' ; 
but  it  will  refresh  in  you  that  altogether  unique 
sensation,  that  of  lifting  up  out  of  common  exist- 
ence, that  cutting  loose  from  the  lower  dust  with  all 
its  leaden  cares  and  petty  doings,  that  full-breath- 
ing, soaring  energy  of  soul  which  is  answered  by 
every  fiber  of  the  body ;  that  daring  of  spirit  all  at 
once  conscious  of  its  own  broad  pinions  despite  the 
clay  still  riveting  it  to  the  earth.  You  will  know 
the  leaps  of  a  hundred  miles  straight  out  made  by 
the  joy-intoxicated  eyes;  the  delirious  plunges 
downward  into  vast  abysses  of  amethyst  and  sap- 
phire ;  the  giant  strides  that  skip  with  the  glad  free- 
dom of  youth  from  peak  to  peak,  across  the  long- 
rolling  ridges,  among  the  leagues  of  complex 
sinuosity  in  the  valleys. 

''You  will  know  also  that  with  such  an  illimit- 
able horizon  about  you,  among  such  colossal 
surroundings,  you  feel  very  little  indeed,  more  dis- 
posed to  true  humility  of  soul  than  you  thought 
possible  when  disporting  below  among  your  kind 
in  their  assemblies  where  fashion  and  vanity  flutter 
and  scheme  for  a  brief  glance  of  recognition;  for 
up  there  on  those  silent  heights  one  is  in  a  two-fold 
sense  breathing  a  purer  atmosphere— and  nearer 
heaven. 

"And  then,  if  possible,  get  for  15  minutes  by 
yourself ;  be  all  alone  where  human  voices  can  not 
reach  your  ear  nor  other  influences  disturb,  and  a 
something  super-earthly  will  steal  upon  you,  an 
over-mastering  awe  as  of  an  oppressive  mystery,  at 


104  A  VISION  REALIZED 

once  grand  in  its  manifestation  of  power,  and 
soothing  like  a  benediction  of  peace  from  the  deep 
sky  overhead.  One  comprehends  why  the  Saviour 
of  men  should  have  chosen  the  lonely  mountain  top 
for  prayer— and  there  continued  all  night." 

A  visit  to  the  falls  of  the  Linville  river  called 
forth  the  following : 

*'A  waterfall  is  always  strangely  interesting 
and  attractive  whether  it  slides  down  over  a  many- 
colored  rocky  incline  with  lisping  splash ;  or  skips 
in  fan-like  cascades  of  silver  thread  from  rounded 
ledge ;  or  pours  a  single  stream  of  light  from  a  dizzy 
wall,  collecting  its  misty  rain  in  the  pool  below ;  or 
leaps  out  with  a  bold  bound  for  the  plunge  into  the 
darkness  of  a  chasm,  it  has  its  own  mysterious 
charm  of  energetic  life. 

^'Let  it  be  a  little  rill  only,  trembling  into  flakes 
and  spray  in  the  joyful  descent,  or  the  cataract  of 
a  mile  in  extent,  rolling  a  thimdering  flood  with 
awful  majesty  over  the  yawning  abyss,  there  is  a 
fascination  in  the  unceasing  commotion,  the  daring 
precipitancy,  the  silvery  gleam  or  glitter  or  flash, 
the  spray  unfolding  like  a  vestal  veil,  the  spiritual 
form  so  stable  in  general  feature,  so  everlastingly 
changeful  in  the  detail  of  its  swift-moving  parts. 
Even  the  waste  water  of  the  commonest  milldam,  a 
thin,  glassy  sheet  split  into  many  ribbons  with  care- 
less frolic  as  to  their  evenness  of  width,  shares  with 
the  most  romantic  cascade  in  shady  glen,  or  the 
wild  fury  of  a  river's  headlong  rush  into  a  thousand 
feet  of  frowning  gorge,  the  same  interest  that  is 
always  new  and  intense  only  in  different  degree. 

**  Water  is  the  lifeblood  of  nature.    Its  pulsa- 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      105 

tions  on  lake  or  ocean,  in  meadow  brook  or  moun- 
tain torrent,  in  modest  rivulet  or  gliding  expanse  of 
an  Amazon  that  drains  a  continent,  correspond  too 
nearly  with  the  throbbings  and  variable  moods  in 
man's  own  veins  not  to  touch  his  liveliest  sym- 
pathies. And  therefore  he  will  undertake  long 
journeys  and  climb  dangerous  places  with  toil  and 
fatigue  just  to  feast  upon  the  sight  of  a  waterfall 
and  let  its  living  beauty  or  grandeur  electrify  the 
forces  of  his  nature  to  bound  and  toss  and  leap  in 
harmony  with  the  wonderful  element." 

The  first  artistic  work  done  in  the  new  studio 
was  a  set  of  paintings  for  the  Church  of  the  Heav- 
enly Rest,  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City.  As 
Church  work  they  were  painted  for  a  mere  pittance. 
These  pictures  are  five  in  number.  The  central 
canvas  is  13  feet  high.  It  bears  the  figure  of  the 
Saviour  as  our  High  Priest  in  Heaven.  *^He  ever 
liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us."  He  stands 
upon  the  clouds,  in  the  full  robes  of  the  High 
Priest ;  His  hands  spread  out,  showing  the  sacred 
wounds ;  on  His  head  a  mitre  of  gold ;  and  a  golden 
censer  in  His  right  hand,  from  which  the  smoking 
incense  ascends.  As  the  figure  is  lighted  from 
above,  the  shadow  beneath,  by  the  outstretching  of 
the  arms,  forms  a  cross  in  beautiful  significance 
under  his  feet  now. 

The  face  is  solemn  and  earnest;  the  eyes  up- 
lifted and  truly  full  of  intercession;  the  whole 
image  very  intense  in  expression.  It  is  8J  feet  in 
height.  The  other  four  figures  are  6  feet  high. 
They  are  attendant  angels,  representing  the  Cheru- 
bim and  Seraphim.    The  two  which  come  next  the 


106  A  VISION  REALIZED 

center— the  Seraphim— are  draped  in  white  and 
red  and  with  uplifted  hands  and  adoring  faces  per- 
sonify glowing,  rapturous  love.  The  two  outer 
ones— the  Cherubim— are  draped  in  white  and  hlue. 
They  stand  with  folded  hands  in  passionless  medi- 
tation, eternal  knowledge  and  eternal  truth  ex- 
pressed upon  their  coimtenances. 

These  paintings  were  on  exhibition  at  the  studio 
for  several  days  and  the  announcement  of  an  art 
reception  made  quite  a  stir  in  the  little  community. 
The  schools  were  given  one  day  and  all  came— 
teachers  and  pupils.  Many  persons  came  from 
great  distances— 20,  30,  and  even  70  miles— on  pur- 
pose to  see  these  pictures.  This  did  not  mean 
coming  comfortably  seated  in  a  railroad  car,  but 
traveling  on  horseback  or  in  vehicles  over  rough 
mountain  roads,  fording  dangerous  streams,  and 
imdergoing  much  fatigue  and  exposure,  the  more  so 
as  the  weather  was  persistently  rainy  all  the  time. 

The  next  work  was  ^^ Darkness  and  Light,"  a 
young  girl  reading  to  an  old  blind  man.  This  was 
presented  to  Bishop  Atkinson,  of  North  Carolina. 

There  are  no  entries  in  his  record  of  works  pro- 
duced for  the  years  1870-74,  but  his  letters  show 
that  in  spite  of  his  numerous  duties  as  priest  the 
artist  was  by  no  means  idle.  A  design  of  the  Cruci- 
fixion was  made  which  w^as  published  as  a  steel 
engraving.  *^When  I  Rise  to  Worlds  Unknown 
and  Behold  Thee  on  Thy  Throne"  was  painted. 
The  wild  ocean  spreads  below,  the  rocky  cross  is 
there,  the  figure  is  loosened  from  it  and  rising  above 
it,  with  outstretched  arms  and  enraptured  face; 
and,  in  the  clouds,  amid  a  flood  of  light  is  a  vision 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      107 

of  Christ  on  His  throne,  surrounded  by  His  angels. 
He  expressed  himself  as  thinking  this  picture  bet- 
ter than  ^^The  Rock  of  Ages,"  but  would  not  re- 
serve the  copyright  because  the  purchaser  had 
suggested  the  subject. 

The  series  of  designs  illustrating  William  Cul- 
len  Bryant's  *^ Waiting  by  the  Gate,"  begun  in 
Westerly,  was  taken  up  and  finished.  Of  these  the 
poet  wrote  him,  *^  You  have  indeed  made  a  poem  out 
of  my  poor  verses." 

There  were  eight  in  number,  one  for  each 
stanza,  and  were  sent  to  Mr.  James  in  New  York, 
who  had  reproductions  made  and  placed  them  on 
the  market. 

Of  the  result  of  this  Mrs.  Oertel  writes : 

^*I  think  it  is  easy  to  see  why  they  failed.  No 
one  has  said  anything  against  them  as  works  of  art 
—indeed  they  are  highly  praised;  but  they  are 
about  Death  and  the  fashionable  crowds  who  fre- 
quent the  picture  stores  pronounce  them  Herrible.' 
The  truth  is,  they  have  sermons  in  them  and  the 
multitude  will  not  be  preached  to  that  way." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

In  the  early  part  of  1873  he  made  plans  to  go  to 
Europe. 

It  was  quite  evident  that  little  could  be  expected 
from  the  sale  of  his  pictures,  especially  such  sub- 
jects as  he  wished  and  most  cared  to  paint,  these 
coming  before  the  public  as  painted  in  America  and 
by  an  American  artist. 

At  the  same  time  he  believed  that  if  such  works 
were  offered  as  having  been  painted  abroad  they 
would  be  viewed  in  a  much  more  favorable  light. 

Also  it  appeared  that  abroad  such  works  as  he 
wished  to  produce  would  be  more  appreciated  and 
there,  especially  in  his  native  country,  he  would 
receive  the  encouragement  and  support  denied  him 
here. 

He  therefore  determined  to  go  to  Dresden  and 
there  locate  for  a  time  and  endeavor  to  make  money 
to  pay  his  debts  and  place  himself  in  a  position  to 
go  on  with  his  greater  works. 

An  arrangement  was  made  with  his  publisher 
to  furnish  the  funds  necessary  for  the  journey  and 
to  supply  a  small  amount  monthly  to  meet  current 
expenses. 

However,  after  he  had  made  many  preparations 
for  the  trip,  Mr.  James  informed  him  it  would  be 
impossible  for  him  to  furnish  the  funds  promised. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      109 

He  then  determined  to  make  the  necessary 
amount  himself  and  set  out  on  a  tour  of  southern 
cities  to  paint  portraits,  going  first  to  Rock  Hill, 
S.  C,  the  home  of  one  of  his  former  pupils.  Miss 
Annie  Jones,  afterwards  Mrs.  Eobertson,  of 
Columbia. 

From  there  he  writes  Mrs.  Oertel :  ''If  I  am  not 
successful  in  making  a  sufficient  amount  to  keep  up 
our  school  and  have  a  surplus  we  shall,  though  in 
utter  sorrow,  have  to  break  up  family  and  perhaps 
home.  I  tremble  at  the  thought,  but  the  sad  work 
has  already  begun,  and  God  only  knows  where  it 
will  stop.  I  greatly  fear  that  the  gloominess  of  our 
affairs  has  not  yet  reached  its  apex." 

''And  later,  from  Salem,  N.  C. : 

"It  truly  appears  that  our  cup  of  sorrow  is  not 
yet  full,  though  it  has  been  filling  near  the  brim 
these  three  years ;  but  let  us  bravely  hope  still,  even 
to  the  last. 

"If  I  am  obliged  to  continue  portrait  painting, 
or  anything  away  from  Lenoir,  I  must  resign  my 
parish. 

"Your  last  letter  read  as  solemn  as  the  sighing 
storm  in  the  cedars  of  Salem  graveyard  avenue.  Is 
it  the  prelude  of  our  farewell  from  Lenoir?  I  fear 
we  shall  shortly  be  driven  to  that,  for  how  can  we 
hold  out  under  the  circumstances'?  How  can  I 
prevent  it,  even  if  all  my  earnings  go  into  that 
vortex?" 

During  this  period  of  portrait  painting  he  also 
did  much  ministerial  work  and  in  the  evenings 
wood  carving,  as  he  had  taken  his  tools  with  him  for 
the  express  purpose. 


no  A  VISION  REALIZED 

He  went  home  for  a  week  at  Christmas,  1873, 
and  then  returned  to  Salem.  From  Salem  he  went 
to  Charlotte,  N.  C,  where  he  had  an  exhibition  of  a 
number  of  his  paintings,  including  ^^The  Final 
Harvest,"  which  had  been  on  exhibition  for  some 
time  in  Raleigh.  He  was  much  discouraged  by  the 
life  he  was  compelled  to  lead  and  the  class  of  work 
he  had  to  do. 

In  his  letters  to  his  wife  he  made  plans  of 
various  kinds  to  ^^save  the  school."  One  of  these 
was  to  offer  his  studio  building  for  a  schoolhouse  if 
the  bishop  would  pledge  support,  and  it  was  deter- 
mined to  put  the  matter  before  him  at  the  conven- 
tion soon  to  be  held  at  Wilmington. 

He  also  decided  to  give  up  the  European  trip 
and  work  to  pay  his  debts  and  make  a  new  start. 
Though  a  considerable  sum  had  been  realized  from 
portrait  painting  it  was  all  absorbed  as  fast  as  made 
by  paying  pressing  debts  and  keeping  up  the  school. 

May  8,  1874,  he  writes:  ^^The  hymn  of  poor 
Newman  has  been  ringing  much  in  my  head— 
^Lead,  kindly  Light'— and  particularly  the  line  *I 
do  not  ask  to  see  the  distant  scene.  One  step  enough 
for  me',  so  good-bye  conjecture  and  speculation  and 
welcome  faith  and  hope." 

May  22,  from  Wilmington  he  writes :  **I  am  not 
encouraged  about  school  affairs.  I  think  we  will 
have  to  fight  that  out  pretty  much  alone.  We  can 
hope  for  no  help  from  the  bishop.  Probably,  the 
best  course  is  what  you  (wife)  suggest,  to  carry  it 
through  the  present  year." 

While  in  Wilmington  he  was  requested  to  take 
charge  of  the  parish  of  Dr.  Watson  (afterwards 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      1 1 1 

bishop),  and  did  so  for  three  months.  After  this 
he  resumed  his  portrait  painting  in  Charlotte. 

Every  effort  was  now  made  and  every  bit  of 
energy  put  in  to  the  paying  of  debts— debts  which 
had  not  been  incurred  on  his  personal  account  but 
in  an  effort  to  build  up  school  and  parish.  Alas,  the 
odds  against  him  w^ere  too  great  for  even  the  Hercu- 
lean efforts  he  made  to  overcome,  too  great  in  spite 
of  the  patient  and  resourceful  wife  who  bravely 
faced  the  desperate  situation  at  home  and  in  his 
absence  bore  the  brunt  of  the  battle.  An  insight 
into  the  cause  of  much  of  the  difficulty  is  given  on 
reading  a  letter  written  by  Mrs.  Oertel  to  a  friend 
Februaryie,  1874; 

^^  You  know  we  have  the  school  here ;  last  session 
we  had  the  teacher,  her  niece,  and  four  school  girls 
boarding  with  us.  As  three  of  them,  the  teacher, 
her  niece  and  one  of  the  girls  were  ^dead  heads', 
and  the  other  three  left  without  paying  one  cent  on 
their  bills,  you  can  imagine  that  my  financial  condi- 
tion has  not  been  the  most  prosperous. 

^^We  have  fought  valiantly  for  the  school  the 
past  two  years ;  if  He  will  accept  and  bless  the  work, 
well;  if  not,  why,  then,  well,  too;  He  knows  best." 

Many  things  in  this  wandering  life  were  hard 
for  him  to  endure.  ^'1  am  getting  very  tired,"  he 
says,  ^^of  my  present  life.  Visions  of  art  float 
ahead  and  of  a  congenial  atmosphere  which  I  every- 
where so  sadly  miss,  among  a  people  who  are  very 
good  but  can  give  me  nothing  I  need,  nor  sympathy 
with  my  efforts  in  the  manner  I  require. 

*^Iron  fetters  hold  me  down  and  chafe  my  soul, 
and  were  it  not  for  other  thoughts,  that  this  life  is 


112  A  VISION  REALIZED 

a  discipline  and  a  man's  identity  not  closed  or  fin- 
ished with  his  departure  from  earth,  I  should  feel 
truly  despairing  while  the  years  fly  so  swiftly  and 
I  see  so  little  of  life's  plans  accomplished.  Pa- 
tience, submission ;  oh  how  much  are  they  needed ! 
How  hard  are  they  to  practice!  How  slowly  are 
they  learned  in  true  spirit!" 

He  was  deeply  grieved  at  the  situation  in  the 
parish  where  he  had  worked  so  hard  and  sacrificed 
so  much.  ^^How  far  off,"  he  says,  ^^and  yet  how 
near  my  poor  parish  seems  to  me,  the  w^ork  I  did 
there,  the  people  who  compose  it ;  and  it  seems  also 
as  if  I  must  remain  associated  with  it  and  still  be 
the  guide  and  teacher  and  the  builder  up  in  that 
primitive  mountain  land. 

^^What  is  to  become  of  if?  What  is  to  become 
of  the  poor  I  have  helped  and  whom  I  can  help  no 
longer?" 

In  the  months  spent  at  Wilmington  his  brush 
was  not  idle.  He  painted  a  large  landscape  of  an 
old  southern  home  surrounded  by  towering  live 
oaks  and  in  the  foreground  a  trellised  scupernong 
vine  so  common  in  that  section.  Also  he  made 
many  marine  sketches,  going  as  often  as  possible  to 
the  ocean  beach. 

^^I  have  spent,"  he  says,  '^a  night  on  the  ocean 
shore  alone  and  stood  on  the  roaring  brink  in  the 
dark,  lonely,  and  feeling  the  pitiless  mystery  before 
me  like  the  fateful  future  into  whose  unfathomable 
extent  we  peer,  a  dark  infinitude  knocking  at  our 
hearts  with  rolling  surf  that  crawls  on  as  if  to  swal- 
low us  up  and  thunders  of  things  strange  and 
unknowable." 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      1 1 3 

This  great  sea  with  its  ever  varying  moods,  its 
*  things  strange  and  unknowable,"  made  a  deep 
impression  on  him  and  he  began  to  paint  a  large 
canvas,  '^ After  the  Struggle,  Peace." 

Another  seashore  picture  was  painted,  ^'Home- 
ward from  the  Marshes,"  cattle  coming  up  from 
feeding  in  the  marsh  land  in  the  evening  light. 

He  left  Wilmington  the  first  of  December,  going 
to  Greensboro  to  continue  portrait  painting  there. 
He  became  in  a  way  reconciled  to  the  life  he  had  to 
lead  and  tried  to  see  in  what  he  had  done  all  the 
good  possible  and  to  comfort  himself  therewith. 

In  letters  to  his  wife  at  this  time  he  says : 

''What  I  have  done  for  this  year  past  appears 
indeed  very  little  to  the  purpose,  and  yet  perhaps 
more  real  good  has  been  done,  more  seed  sown, 
more  of  helping  here  and  there  which  none  other 
could  do  as  well  or  in  the  same  way,  than  if  Mr. 
James  had  furnished  me  the  money  to  sail  off  in 
grand  style  with  a  flourish  in  the  papers. 

"I  am  sent  here  and  there,  sowing  seed,  exert- 
ing some  influence,  and  whether  in  future  settled 
or  not  if  I  have  grace  to  labor  faithfully  there  will 
be  fruit  not  to  be  ashamed  of.  Better  men  than 
myself  have  been  wanderers,  St.  Paul,  and  all  the 
apostles  among  them.  Yet  their  lives  certainly 
were  not  lost.  I  am  now  settled  in  the  belief  that 
this  earthly  life  of  mine  may  have  to  be  passed  in 
humbly  doing  what  men  call  "small  work,"  jobs 
like  a  journeyman  carpenter,  day  work  for  day 
wages ;  not  in  the  execution  of  vast  designs  of  a  far- 
reaching  character,  lifting  my  name  among  the 
world's  great  and  daring  spirits  to  be  inscribed 


114  A  VISION  REALIZED 

upon  the  annals  of  fame  and  known  in  the  front 
rank  of  enterprise  and  achievement.  I  may  have 
the  thoughts,  but  they  must  be  to  myself  only;  I 
may  have  the  boldness,  but  it  must  be  carried  like  a 
reserve  strength  for  enduring  hardship.  It  is 
well  then  to  look  into  the  unbounded  activity  of  a 
life  yonder.  When  a  misgiving  steals  over  me— as 
it  does— that  I  am  making  a  practical  failure  of  my 
career,  and  I  study  the  manifold  windings  an  invis- 
ible hand  leads  me,  and  the  real  divine  object  of 
human  life,  the  consummation  after  the  eyes  close 
to  the  sun,  I  feel  calmly  reconciled  and  ready  to  do 
any  work  faithfully  which  to-day  this  unseen 
Power  lays  in  my  path,  doing  the  same  to-morrow, 
and  after  to-morrow,  just  as  a  child  would  do  in 
trust,  and  then  worry,  anxiety,  and  fear  and  disap- 
pointed hopes  all  vanish  like  shadowy  specters  of 
night  when  the  heavenly  light  breaks  into  the 
gloom.  I  can  then  be  reconciled  to  anything  and 
my  eyes  open  to  the  untold  blessings  contained  in 
this  very  denial,  and  submission  and  peace  calms 
down  the  agitated  deep  of  my  soul. " 

With  the  certainty  that  the  work  in  Lenoir  must 
be  given  up  and  the  struggle  against  fate  abandoned 
came  a  kind  of  relief  and  a  looking  forward  to  the 
future  with  more  hope  and  complacency. 

''We  have  both  of  us,''  he  writes  his  wife,  ''fret- 
ted ourselves  too  much  in  times  past.  We  have  dis- 
quieted ourselves  about  what  was  still  ahead  and 
sometimes  things  which  never  came  to  pass.  All 
this  is  wrong.  It  consumes  strength,  resolution, 
and  peace.  We  must  do  so  no  more.  The  rough 
places  must  be  gone  over,  the  deep  waters  crossed, 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      115 

the  steps  attained  by  labor  and  toil  in  the  striving 
for  the  bright  land  beyond.  It  is  enough  that  the 
end  be  glorious,  though  the  race  be  hard  and  trying 
and  long,  and  God  will  increase  our  power  if  from 
the  heart  we  trust  in  Him. ' ' 

Feeling  that  he  could  never  resume  work  in  his 
Lenoir  parish,  he  at  last  resigned,  December,  1874, 
and  the  parish  and  school  passed  into  the  hands  of 
the  Rev.  C.  T.  Bland.  He  wrote  regretting  that  he 
could  not  be  present  at  the  last,  and  said  to  his  wife 
'^God  bless  you  for  your  heroic  exertions  in  my 
former  parish,  and  especially  during  my  absence 
and  this  last  Christmas  season."  Being  absent  at 
this  time  was  particularly  trying  to  him  as  during 
the  years  he  had  charge  of  the  parish  Christmas 
tide  was  made,  as  it  should  be,  the  great  feast  of  the 
year,  and  in  all  that  was  done  he  took  an  active  part. 

The  little  church  was  always  most  elaborately 
dressed  with  evergreens;  usually  an  ornamental 
screen  of  his  design  was  made  with  his  own  hands 
for  the  front  of  the  chancel,  and  all  the  young  folks 
gathered  there  in  the  evenings  to  help  cover  it  with 
spruce  and  laurel.  There  was  the  Christmas  tree 
to  decorate  and  all  the  simple  little  presents  for  the 
Sunday-school  scholars  to  arrange.  Then  at  the 
old  rectory  all  was  bustle  to  prepare  the  feast  of 
good  things  to  which  all  were  invited,  and  on 
Christmas  eve  the  young  folks  went  out  and  sang 
carols  from  house  to  house. 

All  this  came  up  in  his  mind  as  he  spent  this 
Christmas  away  from  his  parish  and  his  family  and 
among  strangers  and  realized  that  it  must  now  be 
reckoned  among  the  things  of  the  past  and  that  he 


116  A  VISION  REALIZED 

was  no  longer  the  pastor  of  his  beloved  people 
whom  he  had  served  so  faithfully. 

To  show  what  this  Christmas  time  was  to  him 
and  his  devoted  wife  is  quoted  a  portion  of  a  letter 
written  by  her  in  1884  to  The  Church  Messenger, 
published  in  Charlotte,  N.  C.  Mrs.  Oertel  wrote  for 
this  paper  for  some  years  under  the  name  *'Lada." 

^^Dear  old  Christmas!  Hallowed  feast!  With 
a  magician's  wand  thou  bringest  out  of  the  past  the 
trooping  memories. 

*'I  see  a  group  of  worshippers  in  a  village 
church  on  the  far-away  foot  hills  of  the  Blue  Eidge 
in  the  Old  North  State.  It  is  Christmas  Eve.  I  see 
this  group  after  the  service  stand  talking  around 
the  stove  near  the  door,  until,  when  the  rector's 
wife  announces  her  determination  to  leave,  not- 
withstanding the  effort  made  to  prolong  the  conver- 
sation, one  of  the  girls  seizes  the  bellrope  and  rings 
out  a  merry  peal  upon  the  night  air.  I  hear  the 
rector  utter  some  chiding  words,  but  they  do  not 
have  very  much  effect  on  the  high  spirits.  I  see  the 
rector  and  his  wife  go  toward  home.  They  are 
astonished  that  the  rectory  parlor  seems  brilliantly 
lighted,  a  cheerful  fire  upon  the  hearth,  the  lamps 
burning,  the  room  decorated  with  evergreens,  and 
everything— sofa,  piano,  tables,  and  chairs— piled 
up  with  beautiful  and  useful  things,  while  an  illu- 
minated shade  over  the  lamp  on  the  center  table 
greets  them  ^^Merrie  Christmas."  Not  a  soul  is  to 
be  seen ;  all  is  silent  save  the  cheery  crackle  of  the 
fire  upon  the  hearth,  and  then  they  know  that  the 
peal  upon  the  church  bell  was  to  warn  the  fairies 
who  had  wrought  this  transformation  to  flee.    It  is 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      1 1 7 

Holy  Innocents '  night.  I  see  the  same  rectory  blaz- 
ing from  one  end  to  the  other  with  lights  and  danc- 
ing fires  upon  every  hearth  stone.  The  doors  are 
wide  open  and  I  see  coming  up  the  winding  road 
from  the  gate  through  pure  white  fresh-fallen  snow 
a  long  procession  of  old  and  young,  rich  and  poor, 
all  in  one  happy  band,  coming  from  the  enjoyment 
of  the  Christmas  Tree  at  the  church  and  making 
the  snow-laden  pines  shiver  to  their  very  tops  with 
the  volume  of  glad  voices  shouting  the  melodious 
strains  of  *  Wonderful  Night.'  I  see  good  cheer 
spread  in  abundance.  I  see,  ah !  I  can  see  no  more 
for  the  blinding  tears." 

As  he  was  now  no  longer  in  charge  of  a  parish 
he  began  to  work  harder  than  ever  with  brush  and 
pencil,  and  besides  the  portraits  on  which  he  was 
engaged  made  many  designs  for  more  important 
work  to  be  executed  in  the  future  to  which  he  again 
looked  forward  with  hope  and  confidence. 

He  had  made  a  design  of  ^^The  Shadow  of  the 
Eock"  and  writes  he  had  ^^frequently  tried  to  im- 
prove the  figure.  Last  night  it  came  to  me.  How 
my  best  things  have  always  been  a  gift. ' ' 

He  improved  much  in  health  and  strength,  no 
doubt  because  the  burden  of  the  parish  and  school 
had  been  lifted  from  his  shoulders  and  he  was  at 
the  time  making  enough  money  to  supply  im- 
mediate needs  and  had  besides  good  prospects  of 
more  remunerative  work. 

Of  this  he  says:  ^^And  while  the  artists  at  the 
North  are  reduced  to  the  verge  of  want,  I,  strange 
to  contemplate,  in  a  country  without  art  and  money, 
am  having  orders  ahead  and  a  reasonable  prospect 


118  A  VISION  REALIZED 

of  being  able  to  go  forward  on  the  laudable  and 
happy  road  of  paying  the  debts  of  more  disastrous 
years.'' 

Several  important  designs  were  made  at  this 
time,  ^'Isaiah  on  Mount  Horeb,''  of  which  he  made 
a  finely  finished  and  deep-toned  drawing,  and 
^^Ezekiel,''  or  '^The  Vision  of  Dry  Bones."  This 
was  afterward  painted  and  will  be  later  described. 

February  15,  1875,  he  received  a  call  to  the  as- 
sistant rectorship  of  the  church  at  Wilmington,  but 
declined,  *^for,"  he  said,  ''how  can  I  pay  my  debts 
if  I  go  ?  How  can  I  follow  art  at  all  ?  I  am  not  a 
free  man  to  choose." 

Most  of  the  work  on  his  important  designs  was 
done  at  night,  as  the  portrait  painting  consumed  all 
of  the  daylight.  It  was  to  him  an  irksome  task, 
with  his  mind  so  filled  with  children  of  his  own  crea- 
tion which  he  so  longed  to  produce !  He  thus  gives 
vent  to  his  feelings  in  a  letter  to  his  wife  (Mar.  18, 
1875)  :  ''I  go  in  the  'painting  room'  and  look  with 
horror  at  the  row  of  stretchers  gaping  their  backs 
of  canvas  with  my  name  on  each  at  me  as  in  ghastly 
grin  at  the  labor  I,  poor  fellow,  had  to  bestow  on 
their  opposite  sides.  It  reminds  one,  this  wretched 
sight,  of  the  organ  grinder  you  once  saw  in  Tenth 
Street,  New  York,  one  fearfully  hot  day,  drawling 
out  dolefully  the  air  'Jordan  is  a  hard  road  to 
travel'  and  some  lounging  chap  tosses  him  a  penny. 
What  a  pity  that  artists  and  clergymen  have  to  eat 
and  drink  and  need  money  like  other  folks;  that 
they  can  not  feed  themselves  and  their  families  on 
beauty  and  morals. 

"If  the  business  I  am  now  engaged  in  wore  out 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      1 19 

only  brushes  they  could  easily  be  replaced;  but  I 
have  to  be  watchful  it  does  not  wear  out  my  mind 
much  more  and  leave  it  in  a  blank  condition.  It  is 
not  particularly  enriched  by  the  process." 

Early  in  the  spring  (April)  he  went  over  in 
** Stokes"  county  to  paint  horses,  and  while  there 
wrote  he  had  held  the  first  church  service  ever  seen 
or  heard  in  that  county. 

In  the  latter  part  of  April  his  daughter  and 
younger  son  left  Lenoir  for  a  visit  to  friends  in  the 
State  and,  as  his  elder  son  was  already  away  at 
school,  Mrs.  Oertel  was  left  alone  and  he  planned 
to  return. 

*^ Eight  long  weary  months,"  he  says  to  her, 
'^  since  I  have  had  the  light  of  your  face.  We  have 
tried  to  be  doing  good,  and  by  Divine  grace  have, 
1  believe,  effected  our  desires;  but  it  has  been  at 
fearful  expense  to  ourselves.  I  myself  do  not 
reckon  it,  but  we  are  now  by  His  own  hand  broken 
up  and  warned  away  from  Lenoir,  and  since  He  has 
thus  set  us  in  motion  on  this  course  and  race  for 
freedom,  I  mean  to  keep  on  the  run  until  I  have 
crossed  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line." 


CHAPTER  X. 

He  returned  to  Lenoir  May  24,  1875,  and  moved 
Ms  furniture  into  the  studio  where  he  and  his 
wife  lived  for  some  time.  He  at  once  began  to  plan 
for  important  art  work  and  determined  to  risk 
painting,  '^The  Shadow  of  the  Rock,"  but  the 
general  conditions  and  surroundings  were  not  con- 
ducive to  the  freedom  of  thought  so  necessary  to 
its  successful  execution.  Though  living  in  the 
studio,  he  and  his  wife  had  to  go  to  a  neighbor's, 
half  a  mile  distant,  for  meals,  which  made  a  serious 
break  in  his  days.  Then  the  separation  from  the 
children,  the  scattered  condition  of  his  household, 
and  being  forced  to  remain  in  his  former  field  of 
labor  and  see  day  by  day  his  cherished  work  fade 
away  and  die  and  be  unable  to  raise  a  hand  to  save 
it  was  hard  to  endure. 

^*As  for  the  parish,"  writes  Mrs.  Oertel,  '*we 
feel  much  like  standing  by  the  bedside  of  a  dying 
loved  one  and  watching  each  breath  grow  fainter ; 
disintegration  and  decay  seems  to  be  written  over 
the  door." 

Besides  this,  he  had  been  out  of  the  art  world 
for  years  and  constantly  drawing  on  his  own  mental 
resources  without  opportunity  for  study  or  aid  of 
any  kind  whatever. 

He  felt  this  keenly  and  so  feared  to  trust  him- 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      121 

self  to  go  on  with  the  large  work  in  his  present  con- 
dition that  he  made  plans  to  go  to  New  York  and 
paint  it  there. 

This,  however,  he  was  forced  to  relinquish  for 
lack  of  funds,  though  about  the  same  time  he  gave 
$50  toward  the  support  of  the  mission  school  and 
paid  over  $1,300  on  his  debts. 

It  was  no  new  thing  for  him  to  work  under  every 
difficulty,  so  he  began,  June,  1875,  to  paint,  as  best 
he  might,  ^^The  Shadow  of  the  Rock,"  8  by  10  feet 
in  size,  with  the  intention  of  sending  it  to  the  Cen- 
tennial Exposition  soon  to  be  held  in  Philadelphia. 

This  is  from  the  text : 

*^  And  a  man  shall  be  as  a  hiding  place  from  the 
wind,  and  a  covert  from  the  tempest;  as  rivers  of 
water  in  a  dry  place,  as  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock 
in  a  weary  land. "    Isaiah  32 :  2. 

On  the  left-hand  side  of  the  picture  stretches 
the  awful  waste  of  the  desert.  It  lies  under  the 
glaring  noon-day  sun,  yellow,  shimmering  with  in- 
tense heat,  stones  strewn  about,  their  keen  edges 
sharply  defined  beneath  the  fierce  sunshine,  and 
along  the  distant  horizon  the  death-dealing  sand 
storm  is  sweeping  up  with  a  terrible  fury,  a  ^^  weary 
land"  indeed! 

On  the  other  side  of  the  picture,  covering  nearly 
half  of  the  canvas,  there  rises  a  rock  so  high  that 
the  top  is  not  seen.  At  the  base,  from  a  cleft  in  its 
side,  there  gushes  out  a  bubbling  spring  of  bright 
water.  All  around  the  rill  formed  b}^  the  spring, 
emerald  green  grass  gemmed  with  flowers,  olean- 
ders in  full  bloom,  with  other  shrubbery  in  luxuri- 
ant profusion,  cover  the  otherwise  arid  soil. 


122  A  VISION  REALIZED 

The  shadow  of  the  rock  is  thrown  in  the  imme- 
diate foreground  by  the  meridian  sun,  and  it 
suggests  the  form  of  a  cross. 

Herein  is  contained  the  powerful  teaching  of 
this  design.  In  this  shadow  lies  a  youth,  oriental  in 
face  and  garb.  He  has  evidently,  just  at  the  last 
moment  of  endurance,  escaped  from  the  blazing 
sunshine  and  the  oncoming  wind  and  tempest;  he 
has  cast  himself  at  full  length  upon  the  living  grass 
and  presses  hands  and  cheek  against  the  cold  moist 
rock,  while  his  large  dark  eyes  are  lifted  in  unutter- 
able thankfulness.  At  a  distance  away,  upon  the 
sand,  lies  a  figure  that  for  some  reason  has  failed  to 
reach  the  Eefuge,  and  one  feels  that  destruction 
must  soon  overtake  him. 

The  one  who  has  gained  the  shadow  shows  by 
the  expression  of  exhaustion  in  the  whole  figure,  the 
cut  and  bleeding  feet,  and  parched  lips,  that  his 
race  for  life  has  been  a  severe  one. 

The  parable  is  plain  to  imderstand.  The  desert 
—this  sinful  world;  the  rock— Christ;  the  spring— 
the  living  waters;  the  shadow— His  full  life-giving 
salvation.  On  the  one  side— danger,  destruction, 
death;  on  the  other  side— rest,  refreshment,  safety, 
life.  ^^So  run  that  ye  may  obtain,"  and  ^^and  that 
Rock  was  Christ"  are  the  legends  on  the  frame. 

It  was  for  such  art  as  this  that  Mr.  Oertel  fought 
his  whole  life  through,  a  hand-to-hand  fight  with 
the  materialism  of  the  age. 

Painting  this  picture  exhausted  all  his  re- 
sources, but  he  felt  it  his  duty  as  an  American  artist 
to  do  something  toward  the  showing  of  American 
art  in  the  great  exhibition,  and  doubly  so  as  a  Chris- 


UFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      123 

tian  artist  to  place  a  work  there  to  testify  to  Gospel 
truth. 

For  some  days  before  it  was  sent  to  Phila- 
delphia it  was  on  exhibition  at  the  studio  and 
almost  everyone  in  the  town  and  surrounding  coun- 
try came  to  see  it.  The  people  were  so  proud  to 
have  such  a  work  go  to  represent  their  town  that 
they  insisted  on  paying  the  expense  of  sending  it  to 
Philadelphia. 

It  was  sent  to  the  Exposition  and  attracted  a 
great  deal  of  attention,  though  only  15  words  of 
explanation  or  description  were  allowed  in  the 
catalogue. 

It  was  shown  in  New  York  at  the  National 
Academy  exhibition  in  1877.  Mr.  Oertel  had  an 
understanding  with  the  hanging  committee  about  it 
before  it  left  Philadelphia,  and  they  expressed 
themselves  glad  to  give  it  place.  The  place  they 
gave  it  was  one  where  it  could  hardly  be  seen  at  all. 
A  critic,  in  an  article  on  ^^  Christian  Thought  in  the 
National  Academy"  said:  ^^In  wandering  through 
the  galleries  of  the  Academy,  with  all  the  variety 
of  color  and  effect  upon  its  walls,  and  the  display 
of  technical  ability,  a  thoughtful  mind  can  not  but 
be  struck  with  the  meagerness  of  idea  in  the  works 
which  our  painters  put  before  us.  As  the  true  end 
and  aim  of  art  should  be  to  instruct  and  teach,  to 
lift  the  soul  from  this  earthly  level  to  purer 
heights  of  spiritual  contemplation,  to  place  before 
the  eye  facts  and  ideals  lofty  and  elevating  in  a 
tangible  form,  one  would  expect  to  find  a  larger 
recognition  of  this  principle  in  the  exhibition  of  the 
National  Academy ;  but  looking  for  this,  and  Chris- 


124  A  VISION  REALIZED 

tian  thought  especially,  I  find  but  few  represen- 
tatives. 

^^The  most  important  work  of  the  character, 
No.  108,  ^The  Shadow  of  a  Great  Eock,'  by  J.  A. 
Oertel,  to  which  the  hanging  committee  have  in- 
deed proved  themselves  executioners,  is  hung  in  the 
corridor  above  one  of  the  large  doors!  *  *  *  The 
excellency  of  the  rendering  of  details  can  not  be 
seen  in  its  present  position.  It  is  only  those  who 
saw  the  picture  under  more  favorable  circum- 
stances at  the  Centennial  who  can  know  what  they 
are.  *  *  *  This  picture  is  a  sermon  of  powerful 
Christian  teaching.  Can  that  be  the  reason  it  was 
hung  so  near  the  sky?" 

Another  work  which  deserves  mention  was  ex- 
hibited at  the  same  time:  ''Elijah  on  Mount 
Horeb."  It  is  a  powerful  rendering  of  the  grand 
old  prophet  in  his  hour  of  deep  depression  and 
almost  despair,  when  he  exclaimed  (I  Kings,  10)  : 
''And  I,  even  I  only  am  left,  and  they  seek  my 
life  to  take  it  away." 

Next  was  finished  "After  the  Struggle,  Peace," 
begun  in  Wilmington,  and  this  also  was  sent  to 
New  York  for  exhibition. 

It  is  a  grand  and  imposing  picture.  It  trans- 
fers you  almost  bodily  to  the  lone  low  shore  on 
which  the  restless  waters  beat.  You  can  almost 
hear  the  roar  and  hiss  and  see  the  mad  foam  crawl 
up  to  your  feet.  Darkness  settles  upon  the  deep, 
and  the  light  of  the  departing  sun  glows  only  in  the 
long-stretched  army  of  the  sky  like  a  battlement  of 
glory,  conducting  the  eye  to  the  restful  blue  over- 
head.  But  below  there  is  commotion  and  strife  and 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      125 

the  mystery  of  danger  and  suffering  and  death,  for 
there  lies,  just  cast  out,  a  piece  of  a  wreck,  and  a 
sealed  bottle  washed  upon  the  sand— the  tale  of 
some  lost  crew  upon  the  mighty  and  treacherous 
deep. 

In  this  manner  he  proposed  to  teach  more  than 
how  the  surf  breaks  upon  a  shallow  beach,  and  make 
it  a  poem  of  life,  of  death,  and  of  eternity. 

Again  came  up  the  question  of  how  he  should 
attain  his  object  of  painting  the  ^^ series,"  and  all 
sorts  of  schemes  were  alternately  discussed  and 
abandoned  for  the  same  reason— lack  of  funds. 

He  felt  that  Providence  had  so  far  restrained 
him  from  the  work,  as  he  now  felt  ready  both 
in  mental  discipline  and  technical  knowledge, 
which  he  was  not  at  the  time  the  designs  were 
given  him. 

^^But  now,"  he  says  ^Hhe  time  has  come,  if 
ever,"  and  Mrs.  Oertel  writes :  ^^I  would  go  to  Cali- 
fornia or  the  South  Sea  Islands,  or  any  other  cor- 
ner of  the  world  if  I  was  convinced  that  by  doing 
so  I  should  advance  the  possibility  of  this  great 
work.  No  sacrifice  I  could  make  should  stand  in 
the  way." 

However,  nothing  could  be  done  without  money 
and  he  again  started  out  painting  portraits,  going 
first  to  Raleigh,  while  Mrs.  Oertel  went  to  visit  her 
relatives  in  New  York  (May  22, 1876). 

So  at  last  Lenoir  was  left  behind  and  the  years 
of  struggle  in  the  attempt  to  benefit  and  help  his 
people  were  now  only  a  remembrance.  The  break- 
ing away  had  been  gradual,  but  because  of  this  all 
the  harder.    As  he  expressed  it,  *^It  is  in  some 


126  A  VISION  REALIZED 

respects  like  the  mercy  shown  the  dog  by  his  owner 
when  he  cut  off  his  tail  by  inches  to  save  pain." 

In  Raleigh  he  was  engaged  on  all  kinds  of  work, 
little  of  which  was  to  his  liking,  and  he  vents  his 
feelings  in  letters  to  his  wife.  In  May,  1876,  he 
wrote: 

^^An  old  chronic  and  periodical  desire  has  again 
seized  me  this  spring,  and  at  times  I  suffer  terribly 
from  it,  the  more  so  because  it  seems  as  if  I  must 
bear  it  in  patience  without  much  prospect  of  a  cure. 
It  is  that  miserable  art  fever,  and  it  comes  on  worse 
with  every  attack  because  I  am  getting  to  be  more 
and  more  starved  out;  consequently  I  have  less 
power  to  resist.  It  shakes  me  from  morning  to 
night  and  is  a  daily  visitor— not  an  intermittant. 

^^This  last  week  I  worked  very  hard,  but  it  was 
to  purpose.  Once  a  while,  you  know  of  old,  there 
comes  to  me  such  a  fit  of  activity  and  then  the  labor 
of  two  or  three  days  is  compressed  into  one." 

July  16  he  wrote  from  Raleigh  to  his  wife : 

^^And  now  let  us  see  what  my  log  book  has 
marked  down  for  the  past  week.  Speed,  12  knots 
an  hour;  advanced  well  the  picture  of  the  ^Man  in 
the  Boat';  painted  in  a  day  and  a  half  a  very  fine 
fruit  piece  for  Mrs.  Battle  as  a  present,  nearly  fin- 
ished a  small  fruit  piece  for  myself.  Dead  calm 
prevailing  (as  regards  wind,  for  my  speed  is  per 
steam,  you  must  know,  not  being  able  to  use  the  sails 
of  pecuniary  advantage  by  absence  of  breezes  of 
fortune).  Weather  murky,  damp,  and  threaten- 
ing; sky  covered  and  preventing  observations; 
drifting  with  powerful  undercurrent  in  an  un- 
known direction,  afraid  shoals  near  but  can  not  see 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      127 

them ;  keep  watch  in  top  and  fire  signal  guns  once 
in  a  while  without  response ;  no  use  of  rockets,  as 
air  is  too  foggy  and  thick;  hope  to  get  sight  of 
something  this  week,  but  uncertain;  have  nearly 
decided  to  alter  course  and  steer  westerly. 

''An  advertisement  in  the  papers  in  flaming 
capitals  would  certainly  be  the  proper  thing:  'The 
greatest  artist  of  all  North  Carolina  in  this  city! 
Extraordinary  chance!  Unparalleled  advantage, 
most  wonderful  bargains !  $75  a  head  for  the  most 
striking  and  beautiful  likeness  done  to  the  life. 
Would  deceive  a  man's  own  dog  and  run  his  wife 
distracted.  Now  is  your  time,  positively  the  only 
and  last  chance;  go  at  once  and  secure  your  for- 
tune ;  wake  up  to  the  magnificent  opportunity  and 
save  yourselves  the  pangs  of  everlasting  regret," 
etc. 

On  August  4,  1876,  he  returned  to  Lenoir  to 
pack  and  ship  some  of  his  goods  and  take  final  leave, 
"have  another  inch  of  the  tail  removed." 

Prom  here,  on  the  23rd,  he  writes  Mrs.  Oertel, 
now  at  her  old  home  in  Madison,  N.  J. : 

"The  date  of  our  silver  wedding  (minus  the 
silver)  is  September  4,  and  we  ought  to  be  together 
on  that  date.  We  have  had  many  ups  and  downs  in 
the  last  25  years,  and  now  we  are  back  where  we 
started— without  a  home  and  beginning  once  more. 

' '  The  poor  people  of  the  parish  came  to  say  good 
bye;  they  send  love  to  you.  I  suppose  many  a 
broken  prayer  goes  up  from  these  poor  creatures 
on  our  behalf.    Alas!  this  stricken  parish!" 


CHAPTER  XI. 

September  1  (1876)  he  left  for  the  North, 
spending  some  time  in  Madison,  and  Glen  Cove, 
L.  I.,  where  he  visited  his  friend.  Rev.  John  C. 
Middleton,  then  rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church. 

On  October  17  he  took  a  studio  in  the  T.  M.  C.  A. 
Building,  New  York  City.  Of  this  move  he  says : 
^^What  else  can  be  done  I  am  unable  to  see.  All  is 
a  subject  for  trust,  and  not  for  sight."  He  had 
been  seven  years  in  the  South,  isolated  from  artistic 
intercourse,  and  knowing  of  art  life  only  by  occa- 
sional clippings  from  the  newspapers  sent  him  by 
his  friends  at  intervals.  He  soon  realized  that  the 
spirit  and  fashion  of  art  had  drifted  farther  than 
ever  away  from  him.  He  found  some  of  the  best 
artists  spending  their  strength  on  illustrations  and 
decorations  which  to  his  mind  were  trivial  and  un- 
satisfying. His  serious  turn  of  thought,  his  ideas 
of  elevation  in  art,  seemed  all  out  of  place.  A  few 
of  the  old  names  were  left,  but  only  a  few ;  from 
these  he  received  a  hearty  welcome,  but  withal  he 
felt  a  stranger ;  a  stranger  personally  to  the  multi- 
tude of  new  artists  who  had  meanwhile  arisen,  a 
stranger  to  the  style,  method,  and  aim  of  prevailing 
taste. 

Certainly  this  move  was,  as  he  said,  one  of  trust 
and  not  of  sight.    The  first  night  in  his  new  room 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      129 

was  without  fire,  though  it  was  quite  cold.  He  had 
only  a  few  of  his  things  and  slept  on  the  floor,  ^^  with 
paint  box  for  pillow  and  some  light  robes,  used  for 
draping,  for  cover." 

**It  seems  like  a  monstrous  venture,"  he  says, 
*Ho  go  into  such  a  room— and  such  expenses— with 
$15  in  one's  pocket.  I  have  felt  for  some  days  very 
sober  and  anxious,  but  yesterday,  coming  down  on 
the  cars,  I  asked  the  serious  question  whether  if 
$500  were  in  my  pocket  these  despondent  thoughts 
would  rule  me  ?  Whether  in  that  case  it  would  not 
be,  after  all,  the  money  my  heart  trusted  in  to  help 
me  through  instead  of  the  Great  Banker  in  Heaven, 
my  almighty  and  ever-faithful  God,  and,  conscience 
stricken,  I  humbled  myself  and  begged  forgiveness 
and  grace  and  faith  to  trust  implicitly  always  and 
with  a  cheerful  courage  in  whatever  trial  of  pa- 
tience and  endurance  might  come." 

And  so  he  began  this  period  of  his  career  (1876) 
which  was  to  result  only  in  fruitless  effort— in  dire 
distress,  poverty,  and  privation  over  which  it  is 
best  to  pass. 

It  is  not  desired  to  weary  the  reader  of  these 
pages  by  a  rehearsal  of  all  the  trials,  care,  and  dis- 
appointment which  fell  to  his  lot;  nevertheless, 
in  writing  of  a  life  which  was  for  the  most 
part  struggle  and  privation,  much  must  be  told; 
at  least  such  incidents  as  directly  affected  his 
artistic  career. 

Many  failures  were  due  without  doubt  to  his 
own  errors  of  judgment,  though  who  can  say 
what  the  result  would  have  been  had  the  op- 
posite   course    been    followed?      Most    of    such, 


1 30  A  VISION  REALIZED 

however,  can  be  traced  directly  or  indirectly  to 
the  tenacity  with  which  he  clung  to  his  ideal 
and  religious  art. 

For  this  was  the  sacrifice  made,  and  even  when 
disposed  to  murmur  at  the  hardships  he  was  called 
on  to  endure  he  had  a  sublime  faith  in  Almighty 
power  and  over  the  troubled  waters  of  his  soul  came 
the  voice  of  his  Master  saying  ^* Peace,  be  still"  and 
there  was  a  great  calm. 

So  as  year  succeeded  year,  each  bringing  to  him 
new  trials  and  difficulties,  each  bearing  him  nearer 
the  end  of  life  yet  sternly  withholding  that  for 
which  he  strove,  did  this  faith  and  trust  bear  him 
up  and  give  him  strength  to  rise  above  each  suc- 
ceeding surge  which  swept  over  him  and  strike 

out  toward  the  calm  water  bevond  with  renewed 

•/ 

vigor. 

Nothing  was  accomplished  in  the  New  York 
studio,  and,  after  spending  the  winter  there,  early 
in  the  spring  (1877)  he  sought  again  the  retirement 
of  a  country  home. 

Attracted  by  the  prospect  of  the  society  of  val- 
ued friends,  he  made  his  new  home  at  Glen  Cove, 
L.  I.,  and  was  soon  by  vote  of  the  vestry  offered  a 
complimentary  position  as  assistant  minister  of  St. 
Paul's  Church,  which  he  accepted,  glad  to  render 
what  assistance  he  could  to  his  cherished  friend,  the 
rector. 

At  this  time  the  Stewart  Memorial  Cathedral  at 
Garden  City,  L.  I.,  was  being  built,  and  Bishop  Lit- 
tle John  proposed  Mr.  Oertel's  name  to  the  architect 
as  the  proper  man  to  make  designs  for  the  windows 
and  other  artistic  work.    In  this  he  was  seconded 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      131 

by  Dr.  Middleton,  then  warden  of  the  cathedral 
schools. 

He  became  very  enthusiastic  over  the  prospect 
and  even  made  some  designs,  but  Judge  Henry  Hil- 
ton, who  had  charge  of  the  whole  matter  for  Mrs. 
Stewart,  refused  to  consent,  putting  a  stop  to  any 
further  operations. 

He  fitted  up  a  sort  of  a  studio  in  the  carriage- 
house  of  the  property  rented  and  began  to  paint. 
Only  two  important  works  mark  this  period,  ^^The 
Holy  Grail"  and  the  reredos  he  erected  in  St. 
Paul's  Church  **to  the  glory  of  God  and  as  a  testi- 
mony of  his  heartfelt  appreciation  of  the  many 
kindnesses  and  delicate  attentions  he  had  received 
from  the  members  of  the  congregation.''  The  seed 
thought  of  the  painting  of  *^The  Holy  Grail"  is 
contained  in  the  well-known  stanza  from  Tenny- 
son's ^^Sir  Galahad." 

"A  gentle  sound,  an  awful  light, 

Three  angels  bear  the  Holy  Grail, 
With  folded  feet,  and  stoles  of  white 

On  sleeping  wings  they  sail. 
0  blessed  vision.  Blood  of  God ! 

My  spirit  beats  its  mortal  bars. 
As  down  dark  tides  the  glory  rides 

And  starlight  mingles  with  the  stars." 

But  merely  to  give  embodiment  to  the  poetical 
idea  expressed  in  these  lines  would  not  satisfy  our 
artist.  He  never  could  give  the  image  supplied  by 
the  mind  of  another  without  draping  it  anew  from 
his  own  storehouse.  So  the  picture  stands  com- 
pleted, not  the  beauteous  vision  the  poet  laureate 
brings  before  the  knight,  but  as  showing  the  sacra- 


132  A  VISION  REALIZED 

ment  of  the  Holy  Eucharist  in  the  keeping  of  the 
ministry  of  the  Church, 

The  three  angels  who  bear  the  Holy  Grail  are 
clothed  in  the  vestments  of  the  altar  service.  The 
central  figure  in  the  alb  and  chasuble  of  the  cele- 
brant, and  representing  the  bishop,  looks  up  with 
a  face  full  of  rapt  adoration  at  the  Holy  Burden 
lifted  high  above  their  heads.  To  the  right  the 
angel  wears  the  surplice  of  the  priest.  He,  too, 
gazes  upon  the  mystery  he  helps  to  bear,  but  with 
more  of  anxious  deference  in  the  expression  of  his 
coimtenance ;  while  the  angel  on  the  left  side  has  the 
dalmatic,  or  short  surplice  of  the  deacon,  with  the 
stole  crossed  under  the  left  arm.  He  assists  with 
one  hand  in  bearing  the  Holy  Grail  but  the  other  is 
pressed  upon  his  breast,  and  his  gaze  is  downcast 
and  full  of  the  deepest  reverential  awe. 

The  Cup  is  blood  red  upon  a  base  of  gold  and 
jewels.  It  emits  seven  rays;  three  from  the  top 
symbolizing  the  Trinity,  the  four  pointing  down- 
ward being  the  number  of  earth ;  in  all  seven,  the 
seven  spirits  of  God,  and  the  number  of  heavenly 
and  spiritual  perfection. 

The  three  figures  with  their  wings  make  a  star- 
like form  and  are  lighted  from  the  cup,  which  is 
glowing  with  light  and  blood  red.  The  background 
is  a  dark,  star-studded  sky  with  fleecy  clouds  below. 
This  is  a  most  remarkable  picture  and  the  lighting 
such  that  it  impresses  one  as  if  it  might  still  be  seen 
if  the  room  were  darkened. 

The  reredos  is  a  piece  of  exquisite  carving  fill- 
ing the  whole  back  of  the  chancel.  The  wood  is 
chestnut  with  an  admixture  of  holly.    It  contains 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      1 33 

five  paintings  in  oil  and  some  illuminations,  the 
whole  telling  the  story  of  the  Incarnation  in  a  full 
and  comprehensive  manner. 

This  work  was  all  done  during  the  year  1877  and 
early  part  of  1878.  During  the  rest  of  the  year 
nothing  of  importance  was  produced.  He  had 
many  pictures  on  hand  for  which  there  was  no  sale, 
and  he  had  not  the  heart  to  paint  more.  Poverty, 
failure,  and  disappointment  had  worn  him  out,  and 
he  was  in  a  serious  condition  physically.  His 
brother.  Dr.  Oertel,  advised  a  change  and  sug- 
gested that  he  go  south  again.  So  on  the  3rd  of 
May  1879,  the  thirty-first  anniversary  of  his  leav- 
ing the  Fatherland,  he  set  sail  with  his  wife  and  two 
sons  on  one  of  the  Old  Dominion  Line  steamers 
bound  southward  to  North  Carolina. 

After  some  months  spent  in  the  old  Lenoir  stu- 
dio and  among  his  former  parishioners  who  loved 
him  so  much,  his  health  improved  rapidly  and  he 
was  eager  for  work;  so  it  was  at  last  determined 
to  make  a  final  settlement  at  Morganton,  16  miles 
from  Lenoir,  in  an  adjoining  county. 

Buying  a  few  acres  of  land  on  a  most  command- 
ing site,  where  an  unrivalled  panorama  of  moun- 
tain view  surrounded  him,  looking  into  seven  or 
eight  counties,  and  comprising  the  grandest  eleva- 
tions this  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  he  again 
made  a  studio  home. 

Here  once  more  he  cherished  the  hope  of  going 
on  to  paint  his  great  designs. 

For  a  time  he  was  rector  of  the  parish  church— 
unwillingly,  but  consenting  to  the  position  because 
he  felt  that  duty  called  him ;  but  later  he  resigned 


134  A  VISION  REALIZED 

the  rectorship  and  returned  to  art,  believing  that 
his  true  mission  was  there  and  that  he  must  preach 
the  glorious  truths  of  the  gospel  by  form  rather 
than  words,  being  none  the  less  a  preacher  by  the 
difference  of  the  medium  of  communication  to  the 
people. 

The  first  painting  of  note  produced  in  this 
studio  was  ^^The  Good  Shepherd. '^  This  does  not 
represent  the  earthly  human  shepherd  according 
to  the  conventional  idea,  but  assumes  that  what  our 
Lord  did  while  walking  on  the  earth  He  is  con- 
stantly doing  and  by  the  same  means.  He  still  goes 
out  into  the  darkness  of  this  sinful  world  with  the 
love  of  God  and  the  power  of  His  Atonement  to 
seek  and  save  that  which  is  lost. 

In  this  picture  the  act  is  presented  as  fuly  com- 
pleted. Leaving  the  dark  world  behind  Him,  and 
with  the  meek  and  thankful  burden  upon  His 
shoulders.  He  has  entered  upon  the  golden  confines 
of  Heaven  as  in  triumph,  exclaiming,  ^^ Rejoice 
with  me,  for  I  have  found  my  sheep." 

A  crown  of  12  stars— the  foundation  number  of 
the  Church— with  the  Cross  as  their  center,  encir- 
cles His  Head,  and  the  tricolored  numbers  symbol- 
ize the  Trinity,  and  His  own  Divinity.  The  royal 
mantle  is  on  His  shoulders  while  the  other  robes  are 
merely  the  suggestive  red  of  love  and  white  of  holi- 
ness. In  His  hands  and  His  feet  the  stigmata 
declare  of  the  death  on  the  cross  once  for  all  suf- 
fered for  mankind,  and  His  arms  with  the  shep- 
herd's staff— for  He  is  ^*the  Bishop  and  Shepherd 
of  our  souls,"  and  the  chief  Shepherd— form  a 
cross,  the  symbol  forever  of  our  redemption.  This 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      1 35 

is  sought  to  represent  a  summary  of  all  the  truths 
contained  in  the  subject  of  ^'The  Good  Shepherd" 
and  bring  to  the  mind  in  one  glance  the  character 
of  the  blessed  Saviour  and  the  accomplishment  of 
His  mission. 

''The  Ark  Restored/'  painted  at  this  time,  is 
one  of  his  best  works.  It  is  from  the  sixth  chapter 
of  I  Samuel,  where  the  five  Philistine  lords  watch 
the  kine  drawing  the  ark  as  they  take  their  way 
down  the  hill  toward  Beth  Shemesh.  It  is  fine  in 
color  and  full  of  dramatic  action.  This  picture 
was  placed  with  a  dealer  in  New  York  and  the 
price  set  at  $1,000.  Soon  after  it  went  on  Mr. 
Oertel  received  a  telegram  from  the  dealer 
asking  if  he  would  take  $600  for  it.  As  usual 
he  needed  money  and  could  not  afford  to  pass 
the  offer,  so  he  replied  that  he  would.  After  ex- 
penses for  frame  and  commission  were  deducted  he 
received  $450. 

The  dealer  would  never  tell  to  whom  the  picture 
was  sold  and  the  artist  always  believed  it  brought 
the  full  price  and  that  the  dealer  pocketed  the 
balance.  It  is  not  known  to  this  day  who  the 
purchaser  was. 

Another  painting  was  made  here  which  deserves 
mention.  This  was  painted  for  Mr.  Barns,  of  New 
Haven,  Conn.  The  subject  was  the  three  women  on 
their  way  to  the  sepulcher  on  Easter  morning. 
They  walk  out  full  faced  toward  you,  their  eyes 
tear  stained  and  the  soul  of  sadness  upon  their 
brows.  You  feel  that  they  walk  in  silence,  saying 
only  ''Who  will  roll  us  away  the  stone?"  Behind 
them  rises  Calvary  with  the  three  empty  crosses 


136  A  VISION  REALIZED 

outlined  against  the  dawn  and  above  that  a  cloud 
all  along  the  horizon,  but  over  it  an  exquisite  ex- 
panse of  sky  palpitating  with  the  dawning  light, 
and  above  the  crosses  flames  the  morning  star— 
telling  that  the  stone  is  rolled  away. 

Mr.  Hyde,  during  this  year  (1881),  attempted 
to  make  an  arrangement  with  the  Art  Association 
in  Boston  which  would  enable  Mr.  Oertel  to  go  on 
and  paint  the  '^ Series,"  and  for  a  time  it  seemed  as 
if  his  efforts  would  be  successful. 

Nearly  30  years  had  elapsed  since  the  designs 
were  made,  and  always  had  he  kept  them  in  sight. 
Mrs.  Oertel  writes  (Sept.  19)  ''When  I  look  back 
at  his  patience,  at  his  faith  in  the  future  that  God 
would  give  him  to  execute  these  works,  when  I  re- 
member what  inspirations  they  were,  I  feel  as  if  the 
time  must  come,  and  if  it  has  not  come  now  it  does 
begin  to  look  hopeless."  He  also  felt  that  surely 
now  the  time  had  come  and  said  that  if  the  present 
plan  came  to  nothing  he  feared  he  would  be  ''a  fail- 
ure in  art  and  have  to  worry  out  my  life  the  best 
lean." 

However,  when  the  plan  of  Mr.  Hyde  did  fail 
he  did  not  despair,  but  set  about  devising  a  new 
scheme  to  attain  the  desired  end.  His  daughter 
Lena  had  been  teaching  for  some  years  in  the  Leake 
and  Watts  Orphan  House,  New  York  City.  His 
elder  son  had  cast  his  fortune  with  his  and  assisted 
all  he  could,  but  still  as  they  were  now  situated  the 
big  works  could  not  be  attempted.  So  much  was  at 
that  time  said  and  written  of  the  possibilities  of 
easy  living  and  making  money  in  Florida  that  the 
idea  was  evolved  that  here  might  be  a  chance  to  get 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      1 37 

on  a  footing  independent  of  art  so  he  could  be  free 
to  carry  out  his  plans. 

He  had  some  little  correspondence  with  several 
residents  of  the  state  and  of  course  received  every 
encouragement  to  come  and  locate.  In  answer  to 
his  inquiries  in  one  locality  he  was  told  that  the 
business  in  which  there  was  most  immediate  money 
returns  was  lumber  and  that  the  growing  of 
oranges  would  soon  bring  a  fortune.  That  was  it ; 
he  would  have  a  saw  mill  and  an  orange  grove ;  the 
boys  could  run  the  mill  and  make  the  living  while 
the  orange  trees  grew  and  he  would  be  free  to  go 
on  with  his  artistic  work.  Accordingly,  in  the 
spring  of  1882  (Mar.  24),  during  the  absence  of  his 
elder  son,  he  set  out  for  the  Promised  Land,  full  of 
hope  and  enthusiasm,  taking  with  him  his  younger 
son  and  dog  ''Prince."  As  Mrs.  Oertel  wrote,  it 
surely  was  ''Innocents  abroad."  On  his  arrival  in 
Florida  all  was  enthusiasm.  The  new  and  strange 
country  fascinated  him.  His  artistic  eye  saw  only 
the  beauty  of  moss-draped  pines  and  gigantic  live 
oaks,  of  crystal  springs  and  placid  lakes.  He  be- 
lieved all  the  stories  told  him  of  the  wonderful 
future  of  orange  culture;  one  had  only  to  plant 
trees,  watch  them  grow  a  few  years,  and  then  catch 
the  gold  as  it  fell  in  showers  from  each  bending 
limb.  His  letters  were  all  filled  with  glowing  de- 
scriptions of  the  beauty,  healthfulness,  and  natural 
advantages  of  the  country.  Alas !  he  was  soon  to 
learn  that  there  was  another  side  to  life  in  the 
Flowery  Land;  that  the  climate  "so  mild  and 
healthful  to  man"  was  also  favorable  to  the  exist- 
ence of  innumerable  insect  pests,  and  that  it  was  a 


138  A  VISION  REALIZED 

far  cry  from  the  orange  seed  to  the  gold  dollar ;  also 
that  though  figures  are  not  supposed  to  lie  they  do 
so  when  it  comes  to  estimating  the  capacity  and 
profits  of  a  saw  mill. 

However,  he  located  at  Orange  Spring,  Marion 
County,  where  with  his  sons  and  Mr.  C.  M.  Mc- 
Dowell of  Morganton  he  went  into  the  lumber 
business,  purchased  a  saw  mill,  and  broke  ground 
for  an  orange  grove. 

Before  joining  him  in  his  new  home  Mrs.  Oertel 
went  on  to  New  York  to  visit  her  relatives  and 
attend  to  art  business  there. 

May  1  she  writes  of  an  attempt  to  have  some 
works  published.  She  went  to  see  the  head  of  the 
Scribner  house  and  showed  him  the  works.  ^^He 
asked,"  she  says,  ^^are  they  copies  of  any  of  the 
great  names'?"  I  said  ^^Oh,  no;  they  are  entirely 
original. "  "  Well, ' '  he  said  ' '  if  they  were  copies  of 
any  of  the  great  names,  they  might  be  made  to  go ; 
but  as  originals  they  are  worthless."  *^What  can 
one  do  with  such  sentiment  as  that?"  She  also 
adds:  ^^The  pictures  in  the  Academy  are  hung  by 
the  neck  until  they  are  dead.  The  large  one,  ^  After 
the  Struggle,  Peace'  is  consigned  to  the  ^Eumple- 
kammer'  of  the  concern,  down  in  the  cloak  room 
among  a  lot  of  flowers  and  trumpery,  and  *^The 
Child  Jesus"  has  a  negro  picture  to  right  of  it,  a 
negro  stealing  whiskey  beneath  it,  and  a  gay  thing 
full  of  unrest  to  the  left  of  it."  On  the  above  it  is 
useless  to  comment.  The  only  wonder  is  that  he 
continued  to  work  at  all  or  had  any  heart  to  try  to 
bring  his  art  before  the  public. 

Mrs.  Oertel  left  New  York  to  join  the  family  in 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      1 39 

Orange  Spring  on  June  16  (1882),  going  by 
steamer  to  Jacksonville,  river  boat  to  Palatka, 
railroad  to  Johnson's  Station,  and  ^* Florida  phae- 
ton" (a  two-wheeled  cart)  the  remaining  6  miles. 
Judging  from  her  written  description  of  this  trip 
her  first  impressions  of  the  new  land  were  anything 
but  favorable ;  it  is  very  humorous  and  interesting, 
but  lack  of  space  forbids  quoting  here. 

A  hard  and  toilsome  life  she  came  to,  one  where 
physical  strength  was  needed  above  any  other 
asset ;  this  she  had  not,  but  courage  and  endurance 
she  had,  and  she  bore  the  burden  uncomplainingly 
through  all  the  long  campaign  which  followed. 

The  saw  mill  was  set  up,  logs  hauled,  and  the 
first  timber  cut  was  for  the  new  studio  which  he 
began  to  build  at  once  w^hile  still  enthusiastic  over 
the  country  and  the  prospects.  The  boys  helped 
him  get  the  heavy  timbers  in  place,  but  except  for 
this  the  building  was  the  work  of  his  own  hands. 
Very  little  art  work,  however,  was  done.  He  re- 
made the  design  for  the  ^^Dispensations  of  Promise 
and  the  Law''  and  considered  that  it  was  *^ vastly 
improved";  also  he  recomposed  ^^The  Era  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. ' '  The  original  design— the  12  apostles 
stepping  down  from  the  clouds  in  obedience  to  the 
command  '^go  ye  into  all  the  world,"  etc.,  he  made 
only  in  the  clouds,  while  below  he  placed  a  com- 
position almost  as  extensive  as  the  first  one. 

He  also  did  considerable  toward  elaborating  the 
last  of  the  ^ '  Series. ' ' 

During  his  stay  in  Orange  Spring  he  held  serv- 
ices in  the  Methodist  Church,  which  was  seldom 
used.    Lena  came  down  from  New  York  in  the  fall 


140  A  VISION  REALIZED 

and  helped  in  this  with  the  music.  A  small  organ 
was  carried  over  from  the  house  every  Sunday  and 
she  played  and  sang  the  hynms.  After  Mr.  Oertel 
went  North,  his  wife  and  daughter  continued  these 
services  for  nine  months.  She  says:  ^^I  wrote  to 
Dr.  Weller,  the  principal  clergyman  of  the  diocese, 
and  asked  him  what  he  thought  St.  Paul  would  say 
to  it"  (the  reading  of  the  service  and  sermon  by  a 
woman).  He  replied,  ^' Under  the  circimistances, 
I  think  St.  Paul  would  say,  ^Sister,  go  on,'  so  on  I 
went." 

It  soon  became  apparent  that  a  permanent  stay 
here  was  out  of  the  question.  The  business  could 
not  be  made  to  pay  as  was  expected ;  the  boys 
worked  hard,  but  were  dissatisfied  and  did  not  care 
to  remain ;  the  life  was  hard  on  his  wife  and  indeed 
hard  on  him.  His  health  failed  and  his  enthusiasm 
ebbed  to  the  vanishing  point.  He  suffered  intensely 
from  the  numerous  insect  pests.  Ticks,  chiggers, 
fleas,  sand  flies,  gnats,  and  mosquitoes  abounded, 
and  all  seemed  to  have  a  special  thirst  for  his  blood. 
He  was  in  constant  misery  from  their  bites  and 
stings,  and  as  his  flesh  was  irritated  so  was  his  mind. 
He  said  he  ^^felt  so  humiliated,  being  a  prey  to 
vermin." 

Mrs.  Oertel  wrote  to  ^^Edward"  (March,  1883)  : 
^'He  can  not  stay  here.  The  insects  make  life  per- 
fectly unendurable  for  him. 

^^  Imagine  him  before  his  easel,  the  gnats  in  his 
eyes,  the  mosquitoes  singing  about  his  ears,  the 
fleas  working  next  to  his  skin,  the  ants  on  his 
palate— and  meanwhile  the  roaches  eating  up  his 
books  and  pictures. ' '   And  so,  feeling  that  a  further 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      141 

stay  in  Florida  was  useless  and  that  nothing  could 
be  accomplished  either  in  business  or  in  art,  he 
returned  north,  leaving  Orange  Spring  alone  and 
with  a  small  trunk  and  his  paint  box  only,  April 
8, 1883. 

The  boys  had  already  returned  to  North  Caro- 
lina, going  up  the  coast  in  a  boat  built  by  themselves 
from  their  own  lumber. 

Mrs.  Oertel  and  Lena  remained,  as  there  was  as 
yet  no  other  place  to  go,  nor  funds  to  go  with.  The 
mill  had  been  sold  to  some  orange  growers,  but  on 
account  of  the  failure  of  the  orange  crop  that  year 
they  were  unable  to  pay  for  it.  So  once  more  his 
family  was  thoroughly  scattered  and  he  cast  adrift 
to  make  what  landing  he  might  and  begin  the 
struggle  anew. 

Begin  anew !  and  in  his  sixtieth  year ! 

What  wonder  that  at  first,  though  his  aim  was 
still  the  same  and  resolve  unshaken,  that  he  felt 
despondent. 

He  went  first  to  Washington,  taking  a  studio 
there  in  the  Corcoran  building,  where  he  lived  and 
worked.  His  condition  of  mind  at  this  time  is  best 
expressed  in  his  own  words  to  his  friend  Edward 
Hyde: 

^^What  of  the  Series  I  have  for  so  long  deter- 
mined to  execute  at  my  own  expense,  scorning  help 
and  the  sacrificing  of  my  own  independence?  It 
now  looms  up  to  me  as  a  foolish  notion.  The  Fates 
have  knocked  into  flinders  every  scheme  of  mine 
to  achieve  this  independence  in  some  other  manner 
unconnected  with  art.  The  last  one,  the  Florida 
dream,  must  go  with  the  rest,  and  thus  I  am  thrown 


142  A  VISION  REALIZED 

back  into  my  old  and  wearisome  experience,  with  a 
despairing  sort  of  feeling  at  the  heart  because, 
every  effort  failing,  there  is  only  left  the  drudgery 
of  toiling  for  a  precarious  living  by  what  is  almost 
hateful  work  and  seems  devoid  of  aim  as  it  is  kill- 
ing of  aspiration.  And  as  to  help— where  is  it  to 
come  from  and  who  is  to  give  it  ?  Is  there  such  an 
ideal  man  living,  the  miracle  of  his  age,  whose  soul 
could  be  fired  with  a  grand  conception  to  sufficient 
warmth  and  trust  as  to  risk  his  money  on  an  under- 
taking subject  to  so  many  contingencies  ?  And  sup- 
pose such  a  man  not  altogether  impossible,  how  can 
so  obscure  an  individual  as  myself,  and  who  can 
boast  of  neither  influence  nor  active  friends  of  the 
mercenary  kind,  ever  hope  to  become  acquainted 
with  him?" 

Thus  it  was  that  he  was  again  forced  to  resort 
to  painting  portraits  and  ^^pot  boilers,"  though  he 
managed,  to  produce  quite  a  number  of  better  works 
during  the  same  period,  ^^The  Seasons,"  using  the 
groups  from  ^^ Father  Time  and  his  Family"; 
^^ Footprints  of  the  Storm,"  a  large  landscape  from 
studies  made  some  years  before  in  Venice  Center, 
N.  T.,  after  a  tornado  had  swept  over  that  part  of 
the  country.  ' '  The  Walk  to  Gethsemane ' '  and  then 
two  large  canvases  of  the  Four  Evangelists  for  St. 
John's  Church,  Georgetown,  D.  C.  The  sluggish 
and  laborious  working  that  characterized  his  forced 
efforts  left  him  so  soon  as  anything  of  this  kind 
was  upon  his  easel;  now  it  was  bold  and  rapid. 
^^Give  me,"  he  says,  ^^a  big  canvas  and  a  broad 
manner  of  treatment,  and  I  am  perfectly  at  home. 
It's  this  miserable  consideration  of  texture,  and 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      143 

technicality  for  itself  s  sake,  and  diminutive  canvas 
—and  perhaps  equally  diminutive  subjects— that 
dwarf  my  energies." 

These  pictures  were  painted  for  about  what  it 
cost  for  material  but  that  mattered  not;  they  were 
for  the  Church,  it  was  the  work  he  loved  and  for 
which  he  was  best  fitted,  and  he  did  his  utmost  to 
make  them  all  they  should  be. 

He  also  painted  the  symbols  of  the  Four  Evan- 
gelists upon  the  walls  of  the  church. 

During  this  period  he  did  considerable  modeling 
in  clay. 

He  modeled  his  design  ''The  School  of  the 
Prophets"  in  figures  18  inches  high  and  planned  to 
do  the  same  with  sections  of  the ' '  Big  Series. ' '  But 
here  the  balance  wheel  of  his  life  (Mrs.  Oertel) 
came  in  and  checked  the  speed  he  was  gathering. 
''It  seems  to  me,"  she  writes,  "you  would  under- 
take too  great  a  task  in  modeling  in  ever  so  sketchy 
a  manner  for  the  big  pictures.  I  can  see  the  ad- 
vantage, but  the  time,  man;  where  is  it  to  come 
from?" 

It  was  thus  in  all  he  planned;  he  never  con- 
sidered the  work  involved.  Did  some  church  want 
an  altar  or  reredos  and  stipulate  the  sum  they  could 
pay,  he  immediately  made  a  design  which  to  execute 
would  require  work  worth  fifty  times  the  amount. 
It  was  easy  for  him  to  put  it  on  paper ;  the  labor  of 
execution  was  never  considered. 

The  church  work  done,  though  at  no  profit, 
immediately  whetted  his  appetite  for  more.  He 
believed  in  this  line— decoration  and  painting  for 
churches— he  might  receive  recognition. 


144  A  VISION  REALIZED 

^^So  you  see,"  he  says,  ^'I  am  in  work  for 
churches  above  my  shoulders— but  not  my  eyes  or 
brain.  Measuring  these  I  could  employ  several 
pairs  of  hands  with  profit." 

He  was  now  in  the  same  position  as  he  had  been 
so  many  times  before.    Of  this  he  says : 

^^Many  years  of  experience  only  repeats  itself 
in  my  life,  namely,  plenty  of  hard  work  and  very 
slim  compensation  of  the  kind  that  would  relieve 
my  family  from  care— and  often  want.  Yet  you 
know  I  am  in  the  position  of  starting  anew  in  life, 
and  perhaps  when  my  fourth  score  years  begin  I 
shall  have  reached  a  development  growing  out  of 
the  three  that  have  gone  before." 

Efforts  to  make  money  by  the  sale  of  a  lot  of 
small  pictures  resulted  in  failure  and  a  bill  for 
auctioneer's  expenses.  *^But,"  he  writes,  ^Hhis 
reestablishing  is  no  mean  battle,  which  deserves  to 
be  fought  to  the  end  and  my  backbone  is  not  broken 
yet  by  a  good  deal.  You  know  I  can  not  be  put 
down." 

On  November  3,  1883,  he  reached  the  ^Hhree 
score"  years  of  his  life.  A  poem  written  him  on 
this  date  by  his  wife  will  not  be  inappropriate  here. 

**  Threescore." 

Threescore : 
So  long  ago,  my  love,  this  day  I  see 
Life's  golden  ladder  was  let  down  for  thee — 
Round  upon  round  it  rose  before  thy  feet, 
Up,  up,  to  where  the  clouds  swift  winged  and  fleet, 
Hid  with  their  deep  impenetrable  mystery 
The  end. 
No  earthly  eye 
Nor  mortal  lore, 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      145 

Could  pierce  the  shroud  that  wrapped  the  path  to  be, 
Nor  know,  whether  it  led  to  death's  dark  night, 
Or  to  that  region  of  perpetual  light, 
Heaven's  shining  shore ! 

"Threescore : 
So  far  away  from  youth's  keen  eager  gaze 
This  point  thou  hast  attained,  by  devious  ways. 
The  clouds  mysterious,  crimson  gleamed  and  gold, 
And  visions  fair  lurked  in  them  fold  on  fold : 
Thy  spirit's  wing  by  power  of  genius  nerved 

Was  strong! 
Heaven's  precious  gifts 

From  boundless  store, 
Thy  soul  grasped  after,  and  thy  faith  ne'er  swerved; 
Firm  trod  thy  feet,  thine  eyes'  clear  upward  glance 
Caught  glimpses  through  the  rifts  of  blue  expanse 

All  star  gemmed  o'er. 

"Threescore : 
So  many  rounds,  my  love,  thy  feet  have  trod 
Struggling  and  climbing  nearer  to  thy  God, 
The  clouds,  so  crimson  hued  to  youth,  would  oft  descend, 
Wrap  thee  in  gloom  and  direful  woe  portend ; 
And  evil  birds  of  hell  thy  trembling  soul 

Affright! 
Thy  voice  could  scarce 

Mercy  implore. 
Mid  lightnings  flash,  storms  rush,  and  thunders  roll 
Bruised,  beaten,  baffled,  and  thy  nerveless  wing 
Seemed  for  a  time  a  shattered,  helpless  thing. 

Powerful  no  more ! 

"Threescore : 
From  this  fair  height,  my  love,  look  bravely  down, 
See  how  the  storm  clouds  are  beneath  thee  thrown ; 
How  at  thy  feet  the  fateful  lightnings  play. 
While  o'er  thy  head  shines  Heaven's  resplendent  day ; 
Earth's  woes,  grim  storms,  Hell's  hosts,  man's  hate,  their  worst 
Have  done ! 
These  battles  fought 
Fear  nothing  more, 


146  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Immortal  fountains  wait  to  quench  thy  thirst; 
If  all  the  conflicts  of  the  past  have  failed 
In  power  to  crush,  go  on  with  courage  mailed, 
The  peril  o'er. 

"Threescore : 
Look  up,  my  love,  look  up ;  toward  the  sky 
Stretches  the  golden  ladder  wide  and  high ; 
Another  score  of  steps  each  brighter  growing 
In  lambent  light,  with  heavenly  music  flowing, 
And  white-winged  Helpers  sent  to  cheer  and  guard 

Thy  way ! 
The  shining  rounds 

Of  precious  ore 
Lead  on  and  upward  to  thy  great  reward; 
On  to  the  "Father's  House,"  the  "crystal  sea," 
The  land  so  fair  where  "many  mansions"  be. 
Where  years  are  counted  not,  nor  sight  grows  dim, 
And  rings  perpetually  the  seraph's  hymn ; 
Bathed  in  transcendent  light,  immortal  truth. 
Eternal  beauty,  and  eternal  youth. 
The  yearning  soul  with  peace  Divine  be  filled. 
Each  wish  accomplished,  all  as  God  has  willed ; 
And  thou  canst  Him  adore 

Forevermore. 

"Orange  Spring,  Florida,  November  3,  1883.' 


J.  A.  0. 


**  Friend  Duffield,  in  the  specimen  from  him 
among  our  rare  letters  quotes  Emerson  as  saying, 
^We  should  give  each  other  what  we  make,  the 
artist  his  picture,  the  poet  his  poem. '  As  on  many 
similar  occasions  you  have  brought  me  your  pic- 
ture, so  now  I  bring  you  my  poem— crude  and 
hasty,  but  as  Mrs.  Barnett  wrote  of  Robert  Brown- 
ing, ^a  pomegranate,  which  if  cut  deep  down  the 
middle  shows  a  heart  within  blood  tinctured. '    This 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      147 

is  all  I  claim  for  it,  and  to  it  I  add  my  love  and 
blessing.'' 

His  yomagest  son  Eugene  obtained  a  position  in 
the  Navy  Pay  Office  at  Washington  during  this 
year  and  came  on  and  joined  him,  and  on  January 
1,  1884,  his  wife  also  came  back  from  Florida  and 
they  took  a  house  in  Georgetown,  D.  C,  and  once 
more  had  a  place  to  call  home. 

They  had  not  been  able  to  collect  their  scattered 
household  goods ;  part  remained  in  Lenoir,  part  in 
Morganton,  and  part  still  in  Orange  Spring.  Mrs. 
Oertel,  in  after  years,  often  laughed  at  the  remark 
of  the  man  who  moved  what  they  did  have  into  the 
Georgetown  house.  ^'D~ndst  people  I  ever 
moved,''  he  said  as  he  came  up  the  steps  with  a  big 
frame;  ^^aint  got  nuthing  but  books  and  pictures; 
where  be  they  goin'  to  sleep,  and  what  be  they  goin' 
to  kivver  with,  I  dimno. " 

It  was  a  problem,  but  it  was  met,  as  others  had 
been,  by  all  kinds  of  makeshifts.  Picture  boxes 
were  converted  into  tables  and  bureaus  and  other 
boxes  did  duty  as  chairs.  At  least  part  of  the 
family  were  again  together. 

Again  struggle,  disappointment,  and  privation 
were  too  much  for  him  and  his  health  began  to  fail. 

Mrs.  Oertel  writes  a  friend  (Feb.  8, 1884)  :  ^^If 
he  could  only  go  to  New  York  so  that  his  brother, 
the  doctor,  could  see  him ;  a  little  while  out  of  this 
house  might  do  him  good,  but  that  means  $20— and 
a  poor  fellow  has  to  die  sometimes  for  want  of 
that." 

No  doubt  he  would  have  died  but  for  the  help  of 
a  friend,  who  was  a  friend  indeed  in  many  ways, 


148  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Capt.  Thomas  H.  Looker,  of  Georgetown,  then  pay 
director  of  the  Navy. 

Looking  back  on  this  time  those  interested  can 
never  forget  this  noble  friend,  now  passed  to  the 
great  beyond,  and  thus  pay  tribute  to  his  memory. 
The  star  in  his  crown  earned  by  his  kindness  and 
generosity  to  this  one  of  God's  servants  will  never 
grow  dim,  and  he  has  heard  the  Master's  voice  say- 
ing, ^'In  as  much  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  the  least 
of  these.  My  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  Me." 

On  March  22  he  went  on  to  his  brother's  in  New 
York  for  treatment,  but  although  reduced  to  a 
shadow  he  continued  to  paint.  As  he  said  of  his 
work  there,  it  was  "the  picking  up  of  inconsidered 
trifles";  nevertheless  and  in  spite  of  his  rapidly 
failing  strength  he  made  some  fine  things.  Among 
them  was  ''The  Indian  Scout,"  10  by  16  inches, 
painted  for  Mr.  William  Russell.  A  solitary  Indian 
scout  in  war  paint  on  a  white  pony,  arrived  at  the 
banks  of  the  stream  just  after  a  glowing  sunset, 
perceives  the  smoke  of  a  campfire  a  little  ways  off. 
He  is  bending  low  on  his  saddle  bow  with  lance  in 
hand,  peering  savagely  forward.  His  horse  shows 
the  same  spirit  as  its  rider.  Also ' ' The  Poor  Man's 
Doorkeeper, ' '  a  billy  goat  on  the  hard  stone  in  front 
of  an  humble  dwelling. 

The  early  part  of  April,  while  he  was  yet  able 
to  be  out  and  had  strength  enough  to  walk,  he 
attended  an  exhibition  at  the  National  Academy, 
and  of  this  he  writes  his  wife : 

''I  saw  nothing  else  but  what  previous  years 
have  shown.  All  the  striving  is  for  technical 
superiority.    The  same  paucity  of  thought,  lack  of 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      149 

invention,  and  want  of  intellectual  and  spiritual 
elevation  does  evidently  characterize  this  as  well 
as  previous  exhibitions,  judging  from  what  I  read 
and  hear. 

*^The  more  need  is  there  for  an  Elijah  or  John 
in  the  wilderness,  crying  aloud  for  repentance  from 
dead  works  and  belief  in  the  Gospel  that  has  power 
to  raise  the  dead.  And  as  God  has  assuredly  given 
this  mission  to  me,  His  priest  servant,  it  is  my  duty 
to  strive  with  all  my  power  to  fulfill  to  the  utmost 
the  work  of  an  evangelist— and  I  shall  be  sustained 
in  that  work." 

On  April  14  he  had  a  relapse  and  was  then  con- 
fined to  the  house.  His  brother  wrote  that  he  had 
no  hope  of  his  recovery;  yet  he  continued  to  do 
some  work,  make  plans  for  the  future,  and  write 
cheering  letters  to  his  wife. 

By  May  1  he  was  confined  to  his  bed  and  there 
seemed  to  be  no  hope  he  would  rally. 

It  was  then  that  his  brother  discontinued  the 
use  of  medicine  and  began  treating  him  with  cold 
water  applications.  In  a  few  days  improvement 
was  noted  and  on  May  8  the  doctor  wrote  Mrs. 
Oertel  that  he  considered  him  out  of  danger. 

His  first  letter  in  some  days,  written  his  wife  on 
this  date,  says:  ^'A  miracle  has  been  wrought.  I 
have  been  snatched  from  the  very  jaws  of  death." 

In  a  few  days  more  we  find  him  out  buying 
artist's  material,  and  on  the  20th  he  set  out  for 
home  and  again  took  up  the  struggle.  He  returned 
only  a  skeleton,  with  an  insatiable  appetite.  As 
soon  as  he  came  to  meals  he  devoured  with  his  eyes 
all  on  the  table  and  seemed  to  grudge  each  mouth- 


150  A  VISION  REALIZED 

fill  eaten  by  the  others.  As  he  afterward  said, 
while  eating  one  meal  he  was  speculating  on  what 
he  was  going  to  get  the  next. 

His  worn-out  body  had  to  be  entirely  rebuilt. 
While  in  such  a  state  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
do  anything  requiring  much  physical  or  mental 
effort;  yet  he  must  work,  so  he  determined  to  paint 
small  pictures  for  small  prices  and  paint  them  well, 
and  see  if  that  would  not  be  a  temptation  to  the 
public  to  buy. 

This  he  continued  to  do  for  some  time  and  found 
a  limited  market.  Even  very  rich  people  were  con- 
tent to  take  from  him  for  a  few  dollars  what  should 
have  brought  a  hundred  or  more. 

This  kind  of  work  was  done  only  while  he  was 
regaining  his  strength,  but  no  less  than  25  of  these 
small  things  were  painted— '^  In  a  Big  Storm '^ 
(horses),  ''Through  the  Hammocks  in  Florida" 
(cattle),  and  like  subjects.  Later  he  attempted 
things  more  to  his  taste  and  made  designs  for  ''The 
Seven  Sleepers"  and  "Charlemagne,"  both  of 
which  were  afterwards  painted.  He  reproduced  in 
monochrome  "The  Four  Evangelists"  and  painted 
"Under  the  Holy  Rood,"  which  was  presented  to 
the  Theological  Seminary,  Nashotah,  Wis.  Soon 
after  Christmas  (1884)  he  fell  on  the  icy  pavement 
of  the  steep  hillside  on  High  Street,  near  his  home, 
and  again  fractured  his  right  wrist.  This  put  a 
stop  to  art  work  of  any  kind  for  some  time. 

With  all  these  discouragements,  what  wonder 
that  he  seriously  considered  giving  up  art  for  a 
time  and  taking  a  parish  ?  This,  however,  when  it 
came  to  the  pinch,  he  could  not  bring  himself  to  do, 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      151 

though  several  places  were  open  to  him  which  would 
assure  a  living  for  himself  and  family.  Instead  he 
drifted  into  art  work  which  was  to  take  him  a  long 
time  to  execute. 

This  was  the  designing,  constructing,  and  carv- 
ing of  a  reredos  for  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Four- 
teenth Street,  Washington.  With  his  wrist  still 
weak,  he  began  work  on  this  March  31,  1885,  esti- 
mating that  he  could  finish  it  in  three  months,  but 
it  consumed  more  than  double  that  time.  This  was 
not  a  gift,  but  only  a  nominal  price  was  received. 

Reredos  for  St.  Stephens. 

The  idea  embodied  in  this  reredos  is  that  of 
the  Church  built  upon  the  Apostles  and  Prophets, 
Jesus  Christ  being  the  chief  corner  stone. 

The  Lord  is  represented  over  the  altar  by  a 
lamb  carved  in  wood,  nearly  life  size.  It  lies  upon 
a  moimd  of  earth  and  around  it  the  flames  are 
creeping  up.  It  is  in  high  relief,  on  gold  ground. 
There  is  a  high  pointed  arch  over  the  altar,  on  the 
top  of  which  is  the  cross,  elaborate  crockets  on  the 
gable,  and  on  either  side,  on  pedestals,  under  hoods, 
the  Old  Testament  Symbols— The  Paschal  Lamb 
on  the  cruciform  spit,  and  the  brazen  serpent.  On 
one  wing  stand  the  figures  of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah ; 
on  the  other,  Ezekiel  and  Daniel,  painted  on  sepa- 
rate canvases,  figures  about  4J  feet  high.  All 
across  the  top  extends  a  panel.  It  is  in  three 
pieces  but  makes  a  continuous  picture  18  feet 
long— the  12  apostles  as  ^^ seated  on  12  thrones.'' 
Then  on  the  top  are  four  angelic  figures  carved 


152  A  VISION  REALIZED 

in  the  round  with  spread  wings,  these  over 
3  feet  high. 

So  prophet,  apostle,  and  angelic  hosts  are  repre- 
sented, with  the  ^'Lamb  that  was  slain"  in  the 
center. 

Around  the  altar  is  a  wide  carving— wheat  and 
grapes  in  front,  holly  on  one  side,  morning  glory 
on  the  other,  emblems  of  sacrifice  and  resurrection. 
An  arch  in  front  is  supported  by  the  symbols  of 
the  Four  Evangelists  carved  in  the  round.  The 
Alpha  and  Omega  are  also  introduced  and  the 
words  incised  ^^I  am  the  Bread  of  Life"  with  the 
Holy,  Holy,  Holy  on  the  Eetable. 

On  July  15,  1885,  he  was  informed  by  letter 
that  he  had  been  elected  assistant  minister  of 
the  Parish  of  the  Incarnation,  which  position 
he  accepted. 

Though  there  is  no  record  of  the  exact  date,  the 
*' Shadow  of  the  Eock"  was  presented  to  the  Uni- 
versity of  the  South  during  the  fall. 

Early  in  1886  Mr.  Hyde  wrote,  suggesting  that 
his  friend  come  to  Boston.  He  believed  he  had  a 
scheme  which  would  enable  him  to  go  on  and  paint 
his  great  designs. 

Some  of  his  friends  also  suggested  his  removal 
to  Sewanee,  Tenn.,  that  being  church  headquarters 
for  14  dioceses. 

It  was  plain  his  object  could  not  be  attained  by 
remaining  in  Washington.  Where  should  it  be 
next?  For  many  reasons  the  latter  course  was 
decided  upon. 

In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Hyde  (Jan.  25,  1886),  Mrs. 
Oertel  reviews  the  situation  very  completely. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      153 

"2065  High  Street,  Georgetown,  D.  C, 
January  25,  1886. 
"My  Dear  Edward: 

"Your  two  letters  head  the  mail  income  for  the  week.  Thank 
you  for  your  kind,  unselfish  efforts. 

"It  does  not  seem  as  if  Mr.  Oertel  could  go  to  Boston  unless 
perchance — or  rather  providentially,  for  there  is  no  ^chance' — 
there  should  be  some  solid  reason  for  his  going.  Of  course,  if 
your  scheme  should  succeed,  he  would  do  his  part  faithfully; 
but  I  must  tell  you  as  the  truth  that  he  has  no  faith  in  it. 

"The  long  years  since  you  were  with  him,  17  or  18,  have 
been  full  of  painful  disappointments  and  he  is  no  more  the 
enthusiast  you  knew.  Not  that  his  art  enthusiasm  is  in  any 
way  cooled — oh,  no — but  his  enthusiastic  expectations  from  the 
Church  or  the  world  in  the  furtherance  of  his  great  designs  are 
pretty  well  killed  out.  He  can  give  away  as  much  work  as  he 
pleases,  it  is  gratefully  accepted;  but  when  a  living  income  is 
expected  from  it,  then  it  is  quite  a  different  matter. 

"For  instance,  you  find  a  reredos  in  St.  James'  Church, 
Lenoir,  N".  C,  of  which  he  was  rector;  this  was  a  gift.  Then 
in  the  church  at  Rock  Hill,  S.  C,  you  will  find  an  elaborate 
credence  table,  6  feet  high,  also  a  gift.  Then  in  St.  Paul's, 
Glen  Cove,  L.  I.,  a  large  reredos — 14  feet  high,  13  wide,  con- 
taining four  paintings,  and  much  elaborate  carving — this,  too, 
a  gift.  Then  in  St.  John's  Church,  Georgetown,  three  panels 
14  feet  high;  for  this  the  brotherhood  of  the  church  paid  for 
the  materials  and  paid  the  artist  $50 ;  and  so  on  down  the  line. 

"Now,  dear  brother,  you  see  in  all  these  years  Mr.  Oertel 
has  come  in  close  contact  with  many  in  high  places,  and  it  has 
needed  no  mediating  friend  to  make  his  claims  known  either  to 
ecclesiastical  or  moneyed  influences.  Dr.  Morgan  Dix,  the  cham- 
pion of  Christian  art  in  the  church,  has  known  him  for  30  years. 
Bishop  Littlejohn  knows  him  intimately;  he  has  also  been  for 
years  the  so  called  intimate  friend  of  William  Fogg,  for  a  long 
time  President  of  the  Union  League;  also  of  Heniy  E.  Russell, 
a  very  wealthy  man,  friend  and  neighbor  of  the  Vanderbilts,  etc. 

^'The  outcome  of  all  is  that  his  best  friends  in  most  cases 
buy  his  pictures,  under  pressure,  at  low  prices,  and  the  church 
will  taTce  what  he  can  give.  The  Centennial  picture  is  the  prop- 
erty of  the  ^University  of  the  South',  at  Sewanee,  Tenn.,  where 
(D.  V.)  we  are  going — a  gift  to  them. 

"This  is  the  way  the  dear  man  has  gone  through  the  world, 


154  A  VISION  REALIZED 

giving  on  all  sides,  his  ministry  a  voluntary  one,  only  accepting 
a  small  remuneration  now  and  then  where  absolute  necessity 
made  it  imperative. 

"Mr.  Oertel  has  given  much  time  to  the  study  of  architecture 
and  used  to  be  styled  ''diocesan  architect'  when  in  North  Carolina ; 
has  built  or  remodeled  about  a  dozen  churches  in  that  state — 
this,  too,  all  a  gift.  His  is  a  curious  life,  Edward,  a  story  of 
self-sacrificing  endeavor  which  is  not  often  told. 

"It  is  hard  to  rouse  him  to  any  belief  that  his  efforts  will 
ever  be  recognized  by  men  in  high  station,  either  in  a  Christian 
or  a  monetary  point  of  view.  Nothing  but  the  existing  fact 
would  make  him  believe  it. 

"Don't  be  discouraged  because  I  take  the  matter  as  I  do. 
I  must  tell  you  the  truth  as  it  is.  I  think  if  Mr.  Oertel  saw 
any  indications  of  real  sympathetic  help  he  would  gladly  avail 
himself  of  it;  if  it  came  to  him  as  money  speculation  I  do  not 
believe  he  could  be  moved  to  any  action  in  it. 

"I  think,  dear  Edward,  that  it  is  the  Lord's  hand  which  has 
been  ever  in  the  way — why  I  can  not  see — or,  I  ask  myself,  is 
it  the  Devil  who  sees  that  in  defeating  the  performance  of  this 
work  he  is  making  a  great  stroke  of  policy  in  his  own  interests  ? 
I  confess  to  much  bewilderment  on  the  subject. 

"It  is  not  for  us  to  choose  our  way,  it  must  be  His  way;  'at 
evening  time  it  will  be  light.' 

"God  bless  you  for  your  faithful  love  and  remembrance. 
Don't  be  too  much  disappointed  if  your  plans  fail  again,  but 
be  satisfied  with  His  overruling.  We  might  make  mistakes- 
He  can  not. 

"Now  God  be  with  you. 

"Yours,  as  always,  Julia  A.  Oertel." 


FIGURE  OF  CHRIST 

Christ   Church,  Dayton,   Ohio 


CHAPTER  XII. 

On  February  25  he  again  left  for  the  South  and 
after  a  few  weeks  spent  with  his  son  Frederick  at 
Morganton,  N.  C,  went  on  to  Sewanee,  Tenn., 
March  23. 

Here  arrangements  were  made  for  the  building 
of  a  house  with  studio  on ' '  Morgan 's  Steep, ' '  a  most 
beautiful  situation  on  the  cliff  overlooking  the 
valley  2,000  feet  below,  and  he  was  very  enthu- 
siastic over  the  prospect. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  he  began  work  on  a  rere- 
dos  and  altar  for  the  Church  of  the  Incarnation 
at  Washington  which  occupied  most  of  his  time 
for  over  a  year.  This  is  23  feet  high  and  20  feet 
wide,  very  elaborate  in  construction  and  richly 
carved.  It  contains  six  paintings.  In  the  center 
and  above  is  Christ  as  the  High  Priest,  painted  in 
color.  On  either  side  are  inserted  in  carved  frames 
monochromes  of  the  Nativity  and  the  Crucifixion, 
and  below  these,  almost  life-size  and  also  in  color, 
are  the  Four  Evangelists,  two  on  a  canvas.  This 
was  not  entirely  completed  until  the  spring  of  1888. 

One  of  his  best  works  was  done  here.  A  colossal 
figure  of  ^^The  Christ"  for  Christ  Church,  Dayton, 
Ohio.  It  is  placed  above  the  font  and  stands  in  an 
attitude  of  blessing.  This  has  by  some  been  pro- 
noimced  the  greatest  figure  of  Christ  ever  painted. 


156  A  VISION  REALIZED 

A  picture  was  painted  called  ^^ Peace  on  Earth" 
for  Clifford  A.  Lanier,  brother  of  the  poet,  in 
response  to  the  following  request : 

"Please  catch  from  the  Invisible  some  shape  of  spirit,  and, 
enmeshed  on  canvas,  embody  his  fonn  for  me  that  I  may  have 
a  memorial  of  you.    Yours,  sincerely,  Clifford  A.  Lanier." 

After  a  visit  to  his  studio  in  September  (1886) 
Mr.  Lanier  wrote  for  a  Nashville  paper  the  follow- 
ing article : 

'^The  aktist  Oertel." 
a  visit  to  his  studio. 

"It  is  not  possible  to  reproduce  the  gracious  ease  and  cultured 
simplicity  of  Johannes  Oertel,  painter  of  'The  Eock  of  Ages', 
*The  Shadow  of  a  Great  Rock  in  a  Weary  Land',  'The  Climber's 
Vision',  'The  History  of  the  Redemption',  'Prophecy',  'Dispen- 
sations of  Promise  and  the  Law.'  Light  gray  eyes  burn  with 
the  steady  fire  of  vivid  intellectuality.  His  garments  idealize 
the  prosaic  garb  of  this  century;  his  gestures  betray  a  subtle 
mixture  of  strength  with  delicacy  of  touch.  A  long  beard  of 
soft  gray-black  completes  the  charm  of  a  manly  and  dignified 
presence.  In  our  visit  to  him  he  alludes  to  the  want  of  space 
in  his  crowded  atalier,  and  shows  with  pride  the  drawings  of 
the  new  picturesque  cottage  which  is  now  building  for  him  on 
the  brow  of  'Morgan's  Steep.'  He  arranges  chairs  for  his  guests 
(one  of  the  chairs  is  the  product  of  his  own  skill  in  joinery), 
talking  the  while.  A  gleam  of  humor  illumines  his  face  as  he 
parries  a  deft  compliment  from  Mrs.  T.  Protesting  with  a 
gentle  earnestness  against  the  blindness  of  the  many,  mourn- 
fully recognizing  that  they  are  few  who  see  the  'beauty  of  holi- 
ness' or  love  the  'holiness  of  beauty,'  talking  quietly  of  his  own 
work,  vehemently  of  God's;  gesticulating  rather  with  the  arms 
of  the  spirit  than  of  the  body,  criticising  and  praising  a  brother 
artist  as  a  brother.  Oertel  preaches  us  a  lovely  sermon  on  the 
dignity  and  divinity  of  humanity;  for  this  artist,  painter, 
sculptor,  musician,  carpenter,  is  above  all  a  preacher.  Every- 
where you  see  the  results  of  sin's  warfare  against  the  soul  sym- 
bolized.    This  Bunyan  of  painters  shows  the  historic  progress 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      1 57 

of  man  from  the  birthdawn  of  Eden  through  the  ages,  assailed 
at  every  epoch,  fighting,  fainting,  triumphing,  warned  by  proph- 
ecy, cheered  by  promise,  soothed  by  love,  soiled  by  sin,  led  to 
battle  by  the  might  of  captains,  taught  by  the  majesty  of  wise 
lawgivers,  scourged  by  selfish  heroes,  harried  by  the  demons  of 
greed,  wrestling  with  Apolyon— on,  on  through  the  ages,  on  till 
the  devout  imagination  must  climb  the  ladder  of  patient  con- 
secrated effort  and  strain  the  faintly  illuminated  eyes  to  get  a 
glimpse  of  the  bright  morning  light,  flashing  radiance  yonder 
from  the  future  as  each  to-morrow's  sun  flashes  and  shall  flash 
a  pure  white  glory  of  day  athwart  this  mountain's  brow.  A  de- 
sign of  this  picture,  The  Dispensations,'  which  is  so  far-reaching 
and  so  crowded  with  forms  that  it  should  be  called  the  spiritual 
history  of  man  from  the  creation,  and  the  destiny  of  mans  soul, 
was  once  hung  in  an  American  gallery  and  the  newspaper  critic 
chronicled  that  there  was  nothing  that  season  worthy  of  his 
condescension  to  criticize. 

"Oertel  will  not  fight  under  the  infidel  banner  of  'Art  for 

Art's  sake';  immoral,  unmoral,  unspiritual,  helpless,  faithless 

art  is  the  Saracen  against  whom  his  sword  of  the  cross  is  drawn. 

^'He  says  that  one  of  his  unfailing  impulses  is^ 'Would  you 

know  whether  you  can  do  anything  or  not?    Do  it!' 

"Passing  from  the  brush  to  the  sculptor's  model,  then  to  his 
musical  instrument,  and  thence  to  his  turning  lathe  and  car- 
penter's bench,  whence  his  books  wooed  him  to  study— always 
busy  with  fair  imagination,  he  is  defended  against  fatigue.  No 
garrulous  complaints  escape  him;  he  mournfully  recognizes  that 
a  devout  love  of  art  belongs  to  the  minority.  It  is  said  that 
those  who  know  how  to  make  commercial  copies  of  the  well- 
known  picture  'The  Eock  of  Ages'  have  made  a  large  sum  of 
money  by  their  sale  while  he  has  received  nothing.  Of  this  he 
did  not  speak. 

"A  dry  catalogue  of  the  teeming  conceptions  of  this  artist 
is  a  label  tagged  upon  the  spirit.  Here  is  surely  a  soul  faring 
through  the  world  with  religion  in  one  hand  and  beauty  in  the 
other.  He  is  a  painter  of  human  figures.  He  is  gazing  into 
futurity  from  the  height  of  the  eyes  of  a  man  and  seeks  to 
climb  the  spiritual  ladder  as  high  as  a  man  may  go. 

"In  smiling  protest  he  had  exclaimed  what  a  victim  he  would 
be  did  he  attempt  in  so  brief  a  time  to  set  forth  the  work  of 
a  life.  Now  lest  the  perfect  mirror  of  gracious  courtesy  may 
be  blurred  he  walks  down  the  winding  path,  chatting  of  the 


158  A  VISION  REALIZED 

natural  beauty  of  the  place,  of  the  way  to  find  it,  of  the  young 
people,  of  the  particular  suggestiveness  to  the  lover  of  natural 
beauty  of  some  of  these  prospects,  of  his  new  house  now  building 
and  its  domestic  appanages,  of  us  and  our  whereabouts,  till 
the  gate  of  exit  swings  against  his  interesting  figure.  Sincere 
courtesies  wave  ^good  afternoon,'  and  thus  ends  the  lovely  scene 
(one  scene  of  a  reverent  artistic  Passion  Play)  of  a  half  hour 
with  Johannes  A.  Oertel. 

"Clifford  A.  L. 
''Sewanee,  Tenn.,  September,  1886." 

So  passed  the  first  year  of  his  residence  in 
Sewanee.  Little  time  had  been  given  to  the  con- 
sideration of  new  designs;  it  was  all  spent  in  the 
hard  toil  of  carving  and  carpenter  work— done 
because  it  was  necessary  to  meet  the  expenses  of  his 
family.  His  daughter's  health  had  failed  and  she 
had  come  to  live  with  him,  hoping  that  the  moun- 
tain air  might  be  of  benefit ;  but  on  the  contrary  the 
climate  and  electrical  conditions  in  that  high  alti- 
tude depressed  her  greatly,  and  this  was  the  main 
reason  why  he  later  gave  up  his  home  there. 

When  making  the  woodwork  for  various 
churches  he  was  often  urged  to  employ  some  good 
carpenter  to  do  the  heavy  joining  but  seldom  did 
so.  He  followed  no  set  course  and  could  not  tell 
another  exactly  what  he  wanted  done.  He  had  a 
design  to  go  by,  yes;  but  there  was  no  certainty 
that  he  would  follow  it  to  the  letter ;  perhaps  when 
he  came  to  make  a  certain  part  he  would  wish  to 
change  and  improve  it ;  he  must  be  left  free  to  work 
it  out  his  own  way. 

One  of  his  former  pupils  once  wrote  him 
requesting  instruction  in  flesh  painting  and  asked 
him  to  paint  several  heads  in  progression  to  show 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      1 59 

the  process  used.  His  reply  was :  ^^I  can  not  do  it. 
It  is  like  asking  me  to  paint  my  soul.  I  paint  flesh 
as  I  feel  it  at  the  time,  sometimes  in  one  painting, 
sometimes  in  several."  Here  is  shown  the  same 
freedom  from  any  rule,  his  own  or  another's,  that 
characterized  all  his  work. 

In  February,  1887,  his  friend  Rev.  Dr.  Beckett, 
principal  of  the  female  seminary  at  Columbia, 
Tenn.,  was  taken  ill  and  requested  him  to  come 
and  fill  his  place  for  a  time.  To  this  call  he  imme- 
diately responded,  taking  charge  of  the  ministerial 
work  in  parish  and  school. 

He  practically  gave  up  art  work  during  this 
time,  doing  only  a  few  smaller  things  as  he  was 
*^ continually  lecturing  and  speaking."  He  took  a 
great  interest  in  the  work  at  Columbia,  and,  when 
Dr.  Beckett  at  last  returned  and  relieved  him,  left 
with  regret.  He  seems  to  have  found  there  many 
congenial  friends  and  on  leaving,  April  27,  wrote 
his  wife : 

^^My  stay  here  has  been  a  remarkable  episode 
with  a  great  deal  to  impress  it  on  my  mind  and 
that  of  those  with  whom  I  have  been  associated." 

From  Columbia  he  went  to  Nashville,  having 
commission  for  some  animal  pictures  there,  and  for 
a  time  occupied  part  of  the  studio  of  Mr.  Chambers, 
a  Nashville  artist.  He  was  much  pleased  with  his 
reception,  and  writes :  ' '  People  here  wonder  that  a 
man  of  my  ability  should  be  poor ;  and  I  wonder 
myself.  To  be  sure,  I  may  not  sacrifice  principle 
to  any  degree ;  but  plain  duty  on  one  side  can  never 
conflict  with  principle  on  the  other." 

**  Just  now,"  he  goes  on,  *^my  sheep  pictures  are 


160  A  VISION  REALIZED 

touching  a  certain  public;  sheep  are  harmless 
things  and  remind  me  of  the  sheep  in  Christ's  flock. 
I  will  then  regard  them  as  symbols  and  fancy  my- 
self painting  disguised  religious  allegorical  pic- 
tures." While  in  Mr.  Chamber's  studio  they 
painted  a  picture  together,  called  ^'Evensong,"  a 
girl  driving  home  a  flock  of  sheep  in  dim  evening 
light.  He  painted  figure  and  animals ;  Mr.  Cham- 
bers the  landscape. 

This  seems  to  be  the  only  instance  in  his  career 
when  such  a  thing  was  done  except  that  by  request 
of  George  Innis  he  several  times  painted  figures 
and  animals  in  the  landscapes  of  that  artist. 

Leaving  Nashville  early  in  May  he  returned  to 
Sewanee  and  resumed  work  on  the  Incarnation 
reredos,  which  was  completed  by  fall. 

On  account  of  his  daughter's  health  and  other 
causes  he  determined  to  leave  the  mountain,  and 
the  last  of  September  moved  to  Nashville. 

On  October  30  he  went  on  to  Washington  and 
put  up  the  reredos  and  altar  in  the  Church  of  the 
Incarnation.  There  it  stands  to-day,  and  except 
by  the  few  who  attend  the  church  is  never  seen. 
Visitors  and  sightseers  by  the  thousands  come  to 
Washington  every  year,  yet  few,  if  any,  ever  see 
this  remarkable  piece  of  work,  remarkable  in 
design  and  execution  and  still  more  so  for  having 
all  been  made  by  the  one  man.  Design,  carpenter 
work,  carving  and  painting  all  done  by  the  same 
master  hand.  If  this  was  in  Europe,  tourists  would 
travel  miles  to  see  it  and  wonder  at  it.  Here  it  is 
almost  buried.    Why  is  this? 

The  record  shows  that  for  this  work—which 


REREDOS  AND  ALTAR 

Church  of  the  Ineai-natiuu.  Washington.  I).  C 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEU  D.D.      161 

took  over  a  year— he  was  paid  the  princely  sum  of 
$700.  For  this  the  purchaser  can  not  be  blamed. 
He  was  offered  a  certain  sum  and  as  usual  counted 
not  his  own  labor  but  gave  it  freely  in  the  cause  for 
which  he  worked. 

Eeturning  to  Nashville  he  for  a  time  took  charge 
of  the  department  of  wood  carving,  modeling,  and 
figure  composition  in  the  art  school  there. 

With  the  year  1889  came  affliction.  Early  in 
January  (4th)  his  beloved  daughter  passed  away 
and  on  the  20th  of  the  same  month  the  wife  of  his 
son  Frederick,  then  living  at  Washington,  D.  C, 
was  also  taken. 

His  home  being  thus  broken  up  his  son  gave  up 
his  position  in  Washington  and  came  to  live  with 
him,  and  from  that  date  until  his  death  their  lots 
were  cast  together. 

Then  was  put  to  the  test  a  scheme  which  had 
been  often  discussed,  the  manufacture  of  church 
furniture  as  a  business.  It  was  thought  that  if  the 
clergy  of  the  Church  knew  of  him  and  his  work 
they  would  give  him  the  preference  in  any  con- 
templated church  decoration,  either  painting  or 
carving.  Circulars  were  sent  out  to  the  clergy 
informing  them  that  he  was  prepared,  with  the 
assistance  of  his  son,  to  design  and  execute  rere- 
doses,  altars,  fonts,  etc.,  and  it  was  hoped  by  this 
means  a  trade  could  be  built  up  which  would  insure 
a  living  and  he  would  be  enabled  to  go  on  with  the 
^*  Series." 

Quite  a  number  of  requests  for  such  things  had 
already  been  received,  and  these  were  made  as 
rapidly  as  possible,  an  altar  and  font  for  a  church 


162  A  VISION  REALIZED 

in  South  Pittsburg,  Tenn.,  in  oak;  a  communion 
table  and  pulpit  in  cherry  for  the  Western  Metho- 
dist Church  in  Nashville,  and  a  large  reredos  for  St. 
Luke's  Church  in  Jackson,  Tenn. 

While  the  latter  work  was  in  progress  he 
accepted  a  call  from  Halsey  C.  Ives,  afterward 
art  commissioner  for  the  Chicago  fair,  to  take  the 
position  of  instructor  in  art  at  the  school  of  Wash- 
ington University  in  St.  Louis,  and  in  the  fall  of 
that  year  removed  to  St.  Louis  and  assumed  his 
duties  there. 

The  reredos  for  Jackson  was  completed  in  St. 
Louis,  and  as  there  had  been  no  response  to  the 
request  for  work  of  that  character  no  more  was 
undertaken. 

Only  a  few  important  paintings  were  the  result 
of  this  year's  work,  most  of  it  being  taken  up  with 
carving.  The  principal  ones  were  *^ Victorious," 
an  Indian  who  had  just  killed  a  grizzly  bear— 
which  had  fallen  across  his  dead  horse— shouting  in 
triumph  to  his  companions  who  are  coming  up  in 
the  distance.  This  was  painted  in  monochrome  and 
a  drawing  was  made.  It  was  afterward  published 
in  lithograph. 

*^The  Sands  of  Dee"  from  the  poem  of  that 
name  by  Charles  Kingsley.  This  was  a  striking 
picture,  a  Scotch  lassie  coming  up  the  shore  ^'call- 
ing the  cattle  home,"  the  ^^ creeping  tide"  coming 
in,  bringing  with  it  bits  of  seaweed,  and  over  the 
waves  the  '^  blinding  mist  came  pouring  down  and 
^hid  the  land.'  "  This  picture  was  sold  some 
years  later  to  Wood  &  Co.,  publishers,  of  New 
York;   and  ^*A  Eoyal  Pair,"   lion  and  lioness. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      163 

which  became  the  property  of  Gen.  G.  P.  Thruston, 
of  Nashville. 

During  his  stay  in  St.  Louis  his  time  was  occu- 
pied mainly  in  teaching,  and  only  two  large  works 
were  produced:  ^^ Christ  known  by  His  Breaking 
of  Bread  at  Emmaus,"  a  canvas  4  feet  6  inches  by 
6  feet  10  inches,  painted  for  the  Eev.  W.  F.  Brand, 
S.T.D.,  Emmorton,  Md.,  to  go  as  a  memorial  into 
the  chancel  of  his  church,  and  ^^EzekiePs  Vision  of 
Restored  Israel,"  from  Ezekiel  37:  9-10. 

This  is  one  of  his  best  compositions.  It  has 
never  been  exhibited,  and  remains  the  property  of 
his  sons.  It  is  50  by  70  inches.  It  was  afterward 
repainted,  but  will  be  described  here. 

It  represents  the  '^Valley  of  Dry  Bones."  The 
figure  of  the  prophet  occupies  the  center  of  the 
picture  and  around  him  rise  up  those  into  whom 
had  come  the  breath  of  life  in  obedience  to  his 
words,  ^^an  exceeding  great  army."  Some  in  half- 
dazed  wonder  are  just  rising,  many  are  already  on 
their  feet  and  joyously  awaiting  their  loved  ones; 
husband  is  joined  to  wife,  mother  to  child,  and 
many  gaze  rapturously  upward  to  the  flood  of  light 
which  streams  from  heaven  over  all. 

The  only  bit  of  color  is  in  the  draping  of  the 
prophet.  From  the  rock  on  which  he  stands  a 
stream  of  water  flows,  and  reflected  in  its  surface 
is  what  flames  in  the  sky  above— the  Cross,  this 
teaching  that  it  is  by  this  sign  that  Israel  is  to  be 
restored. 

The  figure  of  the  prophet  above  is  draped ;  all 
else  is  flesh  painting,  yet  the  figures  stand  out  as  if 
they  might  walk  from  the  canvas.    Even  a  person 


164  A  VISION  REALIZED 

knowing  nothing  of  art  may  realize  the  technical 
difiSculty  of  painting  so  many  nude  figures  close 
together  and  producing  this  effect. 

Toward  the  last  of  his  second  year  of  teaching 
he  felt  the  strain  of  it  and  the  lack  of  the  freedom 
for  independent  work.  He  must  have  expressed 
his  feelings  in  writing  to  his  wife,  then  in  New 
York,  showing  that  his  spirits  were  at  a  low  ebb, 
and  as  was  always  the  case  at  such  times  she  came 
to  the  rescue,  writing : 

**  April  16.  Do  not  let  the  Devil  succeed  in  the 
overthrow  he  strives  for ;  go  on  and  do  your  best ; 
he  has  not  been  able  to  keep  you  from  making  a 
noble  record  for  the  right,  with  all  his  malice  and 
opposition.  I  think  that  instead  he  has  driven  you 
to  put  the  works  in  God's  House,  which  will  ever 
witness  for  Him,  that  you  would  never  have  made 
had  you  achieved  worldly  success ;  and  may  be  they 
preach  quite  as  forcibly  as  anything  else  you  could 
have  done." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Mr.  Oertel's  engagement  in  St.  Louis  ter- 
minated in  the  fall  of  1981  (September)  and  he 
again  came  East,  this  time  locating  with  his  son 
Frederick  in  Vienna,  Fairfax  County,  Va.,  a 
small  village  about  12  miles  from  the  national 
Capital. 

For  a  time  he  used  one  of  the  small  rooms  in 
the  house  (12  by  14)  for  a  studio;  here  he  painted 
only  one  picture  of  importance  ''The  Prophecy  of 
Balaam,"  but  made  an  elaborate  carved  baptistry 
for  the  Church  of  the  Incarnation  in  Washington. 
The  room  was  much  too  small  to  admit  of  putting 
such  a  large  thing  together,  and  it  was  made  in 
sections  and  never  set  up  until  put  in  its  place  in 
the  church.  In  speaking  of  the  difficulties  he  had 
he  said:  ''I  certainly  am  doomed  again  to  build  a 
cathedral  in  a  closet."  However,  it  was  accom- 
plished as  such  things  always  were,  no  matter  what 
the  difficulty,  by  patient  work  and,  as  he  said, 
''various  contrivances  which  I  adopt  as  I  need 
them." 

This  work  has  much  elaborate  carving,  includ- 
ing four  figures  3  feet  high  cut  in  the  round.  There 
is  one  painting  showing  the  Ark  upon  the  waters, 
with  the  dove  bearing  the  olive  branch,  and  the 
rainbow  in  the  clouds,  typifying  the  cleansing  by 


166  A  VISION  REALIZED 

water  of  the  baptized  as  the  earth  was  cleansed  at 
the  flood. 

In  the  spring  of  1892  (March  7)  he  took  a  studio 
in  Washington  (Seventeenth  and  G  Streets  N.  W.) , 
and  it  was  of  great  benefit  to  him  to  be  in  touch 
with  his  artist  friends,  especially  Mr.  Richard  N. 
Brooke,  Mr.  J.  H.  Moser,  and  Mr.  J.  A.  Messer.  He 
was  elected  president  of  the  Society  of  Washington 
artists  at  this  time. 

As  his  first  work  in  this  studio  he  painted  in 
monochrome  the  four  prophets— Isaiah,  Jeremiah, 
Ezekiel,  and  Daniel— for  Rev.  Dr.  Brand,  Emmor- 
ton,  Md. 

He  speaks  of  having  a  visit  from  ^'Dr.  Audsley, 
of  New  York,"  and  goes  on  to  say :  ^'He  (Dr.  A.) 
says  my  room  is  a  revelation,  etc.,  showing  versatil- 
ity he  had  seen  in  no  other  artist— and  adaptability 
that  seems  able  to  do  anything,  to  be  equally  power- 
ful in  every  branch  (and  I  mentally  ask  Why  not"?) 
so  he  did  not  know  which  I  could  do  best,  etc.— and 
all  that.  Now  I  have  heard  things  of  the  sort  be- 
fore, they  are  very  assuring,  and  keep  up  my  spunk 
but  do  not  alter  the  hard  facts  of  the  position.  It  is 
true  aU  the  same  that  I  am  poor,  obscure,  that  the 
public  do  not  buy  my  pictures  nor  seem  to  care  for 
them,  and  the  best  of  my  years  have  gone  in 
vain  effort  to  make  more  than  a  bare  living. 
And  still  there  may  be  a  duty  remaining— that 
of  continuing  the  battle;  *I  aint  dead  yet'  you 
know.  My  trouble  is  too  much  to  do,  too  much 
willingness  to  do  it,  too  much  resolution,  and 
too  little  time  and  strength.  And  again,  no  means 
for   adopting   such   plans   as   are   recommended 


CHARLEMAGNE 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      167 

for  coming  out  before  the  people  and  compelling 
recognition." 

Then  followed  quite  a  number  of  works:  ''The 
King  of  Truth,"  ''The  Morning  Sacrifice,"  "The 
Supper  at  Emmaus,"  life  size,  for  Dr.  Brand; 
"The  Good  Shepherd,"  for  Church  of  Incarnation, 
Washington;  "Going  on  Picket,"  winter  scene 
before  Fredericksburg;  "Pursued,"  army  train 
with  guard;  and  "Charlemagne."  This  latter  is 
2  feet  8  inches  by  3  feet  4  inches  in  size,  from  the 
well-known  legend  of  Charlemagne  asleep  under 
the  Odenberg,  ready  to  arise  and  do  battle  when 
the  day  of  Armageddon  arrives. 

The  grand  figure  of  the  old  king  lies  asleep  in 
a  great  carved  chair,  his  crown  upon  his  head  and 
the  trusty  two-handed  sword  between  his  knees, 
supported  by  his  left  hand.  His  robe  is  cast  loosely 
about  his  shoulders  and  the  flowing  white  beard 
sweeps  nearly  to  his  waist,  a  grand  and  imposing 
figure,  in  perfect  repose  yet  with  latent  power.  At 
his  feet  lies  his  cross-blazoned  shield,  on  either 
side  a  crouching  lion  (emblematic  of  power).  The 
figure  on  the  side  of  the  carved  chair  has  trumpet 
in  hand  ready  to  sound  the  alarm,  and  from 
above  comes  a  hand  to  turn  the  hourglass  stand- 
ing on  top  of  the  chair,  showing  that  the  time  is 
approaching. 

Early  in  1893  his  friend  Eev.  Dr.  Brand  was 
taken  sick  and  requested  him  to  come  over  to 
Emmorton,  2^  miles  from  Bel  Air,  Md.,  on  Sun- 
days and  hold  services  for  him.  This  he  did  for 
some  weeks,  but  in  the  meantime  he  had  accepted  a 
commission  to  paint  some  large  pictures  for  St. 


168  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Mary's  E.  C.  Church,  Washington,  to  be  completed 
by  a  certain  date,  and  it  consumed  too  much  of  his 
time  to  make  the  trip  each  week,  so  he  determined 
to  do  the  work  there. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Consequently  the  last  of  July  found  him  located 
at  Bel  Air,  Md.,  where  he  was  given  the  use  of  a 
room  in  the  courthouse  for  a  studio,  and  on  August 
5  he  began  the  big  pictures;  September  15  the 
three  large  ones,  each  5  feet  9  inches  by  11  feet 
3  inches,  were  completed.  While  painting  these 
he  wrote: 

''I  must,  for  want  of  time,  pull  up  alongside  of 
the  'old  masters'  in  point  of  rapidity  of  execution, 
and  probably  the  paintings  do  not  suffer  in  the 
process.  Keeping  at  white  heat  is  often  an  advan- 
tage, while  deliberate  slow  performance  degen- 
erates often  into  mechanical  finish. 

And  on  September  15 :  ''I  have  finished  the  pic- 
tures. I  labored  imder  formidable  obstacles ;  not 
the  least  of  these  was  the  poisonous  green  of  the 
jury  room  in  the  Court  House,  done  in  oil,  that  be- 
ing the  only  place  in  town  affording  light  enough, 
although  only  about  ten  ( !)  feet  distance  from  over 
lif esize  figures.  However,  1  struggled  through  and 
came  out  victor,  not  the  first  experience  of  the  char- 
acter I  have  had  to  make." 

The  subjects  are  all  different  aspects  and  stages 
of  the  Incarnation ;  the  center,  that  of  the  Madonna, 
the  ancient  ''Theotokos",  simple  in  treatment, 
above  7  feet  high;  to  the  left,  the  Judgment  of  the 


1 70  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Serpent  in  Eden  (Gen.  Ill,  14,  15)  ;  to  the  right 
the  Vision  of  Isaiah  when  sent  to  King  Ahas,  Isaiah 
VII,  13, 14.  Besides  these  there  are  four  paintings 
5  by  6  feet  in  monochrome  decorative  panels ;  sub- 
jects, ^^The  Annunciation,''  ^^ Nativity,"  ^* Presen- 
tation of  Jesus  in  the  Temple,"  and  ^'Finding  of 
Our  Lord  by  His  parents." 

To  E.  L.  H.  he  writes:  ^^You  are  right  in  being 
indignant  that  my  own  communion  does  not  keep 
my  brush  sufficiently  employed,  but,  my  friend,  it 
is  the  old  experience,  '^a  prophet  is  not  without 
honor,"  etc.  Moreover,  you  know  that  I  have  not 
the  gift  of  advertising  myself  and  wares,  and  who 
can  succeed  nowadays  in  a  temporal  sense  without 
that?  Let  the  bubble  ^'reputation"  float  along. 
There  are  plenty  chasing  the  glittering  nothing  and 
I  will  not  swell  the  silly  crowd.  The  good  Lord  has 
kept  me  and  fed  me  these  70  years  and  will  so  keep 
me  the  years  that  remain.  I  do  the  work  that  comes 
to  me,  in  serious  honesty,  and  leave  the  result  in 
His  gracious  hands." 

After  finishing  the  four  monochromes,  Novem- 
ber 18,  no  more  important  work  was  done  that  year 
except  the  completion  of  an  altar,  begun  during  the 
summer,  for  St.  Peter's  Church,  Fernandina,  Fla. 

Still  being  needed  in  the  Church  work  at  Em- 
morton,  he  remained  in  Bel  Air  and  little  by  little 
seemed  to  take  root. 

His  wife  and  son  pressed  him  to  return  to  the 
Vienna  home,  but  he  was  obdurate  and  refused, 
insisting  that  his  work  was  there  while  in  Vienna 
there  was  nothing  for  him  either  in  the  church  or 
art.    Mrs.  Oertel  held  out  against  his  remaining 


■■H||^^^ 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      1 71 

and  would  not  consent  to  leave  her  son  and  Ms  two 
children  and  join  him  as  he  wished. 

In  spite  of  all  this  he  remained,  and  not  only 
that,  but  built  a  small  studio  and  settled  down  to 
work.  This  is  the  only  instance  in  his  life  where  he 
absolutely  refused  to  listen  to  counsel  either  from 
his  wife  or  son.  In  one  of  her  letters  to  him  Mrs. 
Oertel  said:  ''I  consider  your  call  to  Bel  Air  a 
family  calamity." 

His  first  work  in  1894  was  four  paintings  for  the 
Emmorton  church,  each  3  by  7  feet— ''The  Sacrifice 
of  Abel,"  ''Melchizedek  Blessing  Abraham," 
''David  Playing  before  Saul,"  and  "Moses  Strik- 
ing the  Rock." 

Then  followed  many  smaller  works,  the  princi- 
pal ones  "Successors  to  Royalty,"  lions,  and 
' '  Sunny  Pathways. ' ' 

He  was  as  eager  for  work  as  a  boy  when  the  new 
studio  was  completed,  and  determined  to  paint 
again  for  exhibition  in  New  York.    Of  this  he  says : 

"But  he  who  enters  that  city  for  competition 
has  a  murderous  fight  before  him.  The  Vestals  in 
Gerome's  'Gladiator'  represent  the  heartless  spirit 
of  the  'judges'  in  those  exhibitions.  Their  thumbs 
are  all  downward  and  they  cry  for  blood. 

"Grave  doubts  assail  me.  The  question  rises 
like  a  warning  ghost  before  me,  whether  after  all 
and  in  spite  of  my  very  youthful  resolution  to  con- 
quer again  a  standing  professionally,  I  am  not 
hopelessly  superannuated  and  such  a  result  beyond 
my  power  and  the  possibilities  of  the  case"?  Even 
a  Bismarck  is  laid  on  the  shelf  and  a  Gladstone 
compelled  to  resign,  and  perhaps  the  task  I  had  set 


1 72  A  VISION  REALIZED 

myself  is  more  difficult  to  achieve  than  theirs  who 
have  continued  in  the  mid-channel  of  prosperity 
and  public  acknowledgment  while  I  emerge  as  an 
old  man  from  obscurity  into  a  race  that  is  rushing 
into  opposite  pursuits. 

^^This  race  will  not  even  permit  me  to  bear  any 
testimony.  I  can  get  no  hearing  in  the  market  place 
and  am  pushed  back  within  the  church  doors. 
Therefore  it  may  be  that  the  experience  has  the 
meaning,  dimly  hinted,  that  inside  the  church  doors 
I  shall  remain. 

^*  All  the  work  I  have  had  of  late  has  been  for  the 
Church.  God  can  send  more.  I  have  no  knack  at 
advertising  myself,  can't  do  it,  but  must  quietly 
wait  and  hope. 

^^  Perhaps  other  men  also  have  to  go  from  the 
stage  of  life  here  leaving  what  they  considered  their 
main  work  unfinished— hardly  begun.  With  me  it 
is  plainly  the  case.  What  had  not  entered  into  the 
original  plan  had  to  be  done,  and  what  was  the  chief 
aim  remains  a  fragment  only.  Evidently  the  pres- 
ent generation  has  grown  away  from  me  and  I  from 
it,  and  we  no  longer  fit  together.  This  is  painfully 
apparent  and  perhaps  the  part  of  wisdom  would  be 
to  submit  and  retire  within  the  narrow  circle  where 
still  there  is  affinity  and  some  chance  for  use- 
fulness. 

^^  These  conflicling  suggestions  run  through  my 
head  and  they  do  not  tend  to  steady  my  energies. 
Very  possibly  no  avenue  of  escape  to  freer  action 
can  be  discovered,  and  whether  I  give  up  the  battle 
against  odds  or  with  set  teeth  go  on  with  the  strug- 
gle, I  shall  have  to  yield  so  much  to  circumstances 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      1 73 

as  to  secure  a  living  by  whatever  can  be  picked  up 
along  the  way." 

When  the  pictures  for  the  Emmorton  church 
were  completed  he  wrote  his  wife  (Mar.  5)  : 

*^  Another  load  carried  to  its  destination  and 
laid  down,  and  I  can  turn  in  some  other  direction  to 
take  up  whatever  the  day  brings  along.  With 
modifications  the  thing  repeats  itself  to  the  end. 
Stage  after  stage  is  left  behind  and  at  last  the  goal 
is  reached.  Wayworn,  bruised,  and  tired  we  get 
there,  but  what  matters  it— for  when  the  gate  opens 
the  character  of  the  travel  will  be  totally  changed." 

At  various  periods  his  friends  tried  to  bring  his 
name  before  the  public  and  so  assist  him,  but  not 
the  slightest  effect  was  ever  observed  to  result  from 
such  efforts.  After  an  article  about  him  had  ap- 
peared in  the  Philadelphia  Times  (Mar.  17)  he 
comments  on  it  thus : 

'^Whether  this  ^writing  me  up'  does  more  than 
reminding  a  few  people  I  am  alive  is  questionable. 
From  all  there  never  has  been  a  really  practical 
business  result,  which  may  be  owing  to  my  deplor- 
able lack  of  capacity  for  improving  an  opportunity 
for  temporal  advantage.  There  is  no  ^push'  in  me. 
The  good  Lord  has  given  me  other  faculties,  but 
utterly  denied  this ;  and  I  shall  have  to  the  end  to 
bear  the  consequences  of  fitting  so  awkwardly  into 
an  age  possessed  with  the  advertising  devil." 

His  effort  to  ^^ found  a  home"  in  Bel  Air  was  an 
honest  though  from  a  practical  standpoint  a  mis- 
guided one.  Instead  of  founding  one  he  left  the 
only  real  home  he  had— that  of  his  son— and  placed 
himself  again  adrift.    When  for  a  time  fortune 


1 74  A  VISION  REALIZED 

smiled  and  money  began  to  come  in  he  was  prone  to 
be  optimistic  as  to  the  future  and  feel  sure  it  was 
to  be  immediately  followed  by  more  and  made  his 
plans  accordingly;  then,  when  suddenly  the  tide 
turned,  as  it  always  did,  he  often  went  to  the  other 
extreme  and  was  very  despondent. 

^^Aye,  aye,"  he  says,  ^4t  is  a  curious  life  I  lead! 
Drift,  drift,  drift— these  40  and  more  years,  truly 
a  wandering  in  the  wilderness  without  proper  home, 
a  living  in  tents,  a  nomadic  existence.  But  shall  the 
wandering  not  cease  ?  Has  the  time  not  come  with 
my  three-score  years  and  ten^  If  not,  when  will 
it  come?" 

^^More  than  once  I  have  determined  to  plant 
myself  for  perpetuity,  but  could  take  no  hold  upon 
the  soil.  One  might  think  I  had  slain  my  brother 
and  the  curse  of  Cain  was  upon  me.  But  instead 
was  I  not  rather  like  the  Patriarchs  who  could  own 
not  a  foot  of  their  promised  land  save  where  they 
bought  to  bury  their  dead?  or  like  a  missionary 
apostle,  going  about  sowing  seed  in  many  a  field 
that  afterward  grew  and  bore  fruit? 

^^Now  once  more  I  have  started  the  endeavor  to 
found  a  home,  so  late  in  life,  and  it  seems  so  difficult 
of  accomplishment.  Yet  it  must  not  be  given  up ;  it 
may  be  still  possible. " 

The  above  is  quoted  to  show  how  deeply  he  felt 
the  position  in  which  he  now  found  himself.  He 
did  not  seem  able  to  see  that  this  move  had  been 
purely  a  matter  of  will  on  his  part  and  had  not  been 
forced  upon  him  as  some  former  ones  had ;  nor  had 
there  been  any  basis  for  considering  that  the  change 
of  location  would  be  of  any  benefit.    However,  so 


EVENING  MEDITATION 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      1 75 

he  saw  it  and  had  deemed  it  his  duty,  and  when  his 
son  for  business  reasons  had  to  leave  Vienna  for  a 
time,  finally  going  to  New  York,  Mrs.  Oertel  gave 
in  and  went  to  make  her  home  with  him  in  Bel  Air 
(Aug.  10,  1894).  Ill  advised  as  this  move  seemed 
to  be,  yet  in  the  Bel  Air  studio  was  begun  the  work 
designed  40  years  before,  the  work  for  which  so 
many  moves  had  been  made  and  so  much  sacrificed, 
the  central  point  in  the  circle  of  his  life  around 
which  all  his  doings  clustered  and  were  in  some  way 
connected— ^^ The  Great  Series." 

His  sons  were  now  able  to  relieve  him  of  the 
necessity  of  making  a  living  and  leave  him  free  to 
accomplish  that  for  which  he  had  waited  so  long. 

During  the  early  part  of  1895  he  was  occupied 
mostly  with  portraits,  animal  pieces,  etc.,  painting 
only  two  important  canvases,  a  ^^Eock  of  Ages," 
24  inches  by  4  feet,  the  one  before  mentioned  as 
made  for  his  son.  Dr.  T.  E.  Oertel,  in  New  York  and 
^^ Evening  Meditation,"  a  monk  leaning  in  cloister 
door,  with  breviary,  looking  out  at  the  fading  even- 
ing light. 

In  the  fall  of  1895  he  began  preliminary  work 
for  the  painting  of  ^^The  Dispensations,"  and  in 
the  spring  went  to  New  York  to  study  and  refresh 
his  mind  before  entering  upon  the  task  of  painting 
so  large  a  canvas.  From  New  York  he  wrote 
(Apr.  22)  : 

^^No  doubt  I  shall  go  home  with  added  strength 
and  courage  braced  up.  The  sluggish  current  of 
my  life  has  been  stirred,  and,  like  water  tumbling 
over  rocks  in  a  rough  channel,  received  fresh  air 
and  new  motion  and  runs  thereafter  in  a  clearer 


1 76  A  VISION  REALIZED 

stream.  The  past  weeks  are  something  to  ponder 
on,  and  the  contact  with  other  folk  has  been  of  help ; 
old  friends  have  brought  up  old  experiences  and 
induced  many  reflections,  and  perhaps  words  have 
been  spoken  that  echo  on  into  the  future— even 
beyond  the  troublesome  mortal  hour. 

^^I  have  attended  a  reunion  of  artists  and  visited 
Grey,  Brown,  Perry,  Eider,  Thomas  Moran,  and 
Huntington." 

He  often  was  perfectly  oblivious  to  his  personal 
appearance.  When  he  arrived  in  New  York  on  this 
trip  he  had  on  his  head  a  most  disreputable  old  hat 
which  his  son  immediately  confiscated,  giving  him 
a  new  one.  A  day  or  so  later  he  went  on  a  visit  to 
friends  in  Glen  Cove  and  when  he  returned  he  had 
on  a  still  worse  one,  all  slouched  down  in  the  brim 
and  full  of  holes,  and  he  did  not  know  it  was  not  the 
new  one  until  his  attention  was  called  to  it. 

He  had  taken  the  first  one  he  found  on  the  rack 
when  leaving,  which  turned  out  to  be  the  one  used 
by  his  friend  when  he  worked  in  the  garden.  He 
always  put  on  his  hat  by  placing  it  on  the  back  of 
his  head  and  then  giving  the  brim  in  front  a  pull, 
leaving  it,  as  he  said  ^^with  a  backward  inclina- 
tion," and  it  was  not  long  before  the  hat  itself  as- 
sumed that  shape— setting  back  with  front  of  brim 
pulled  down. 

On  his  return  the  canvas  was  stretched  for  the 
big  picture  and  he  began  the  work  which  he  had 
longed  to  do  for  so  many  years.  Even  while  occu- 
pied on  the  large  works,  as  he  was  for  several  years, 
he  contrived  to  do  many  other  things,  both  carving 
and  painting,  producing  what  alone  would  seem  to 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      1 77 

have  been  enough  to  occupy  all  this  time.  Most  of 
what  he  did  was  given  away.  In  writing  of  certain 
work  which  had  been  made  for  a  church,  for  which 

he  was  to  have  been  paid,  he  said :  *'It  is  like I 

might  as  well  make  a  bona  fide  donation  of  what  I 
have  done  and  cut  short  the  idle  speculation  of  ever 
securing  even  small  returns  in  money.  By  doing 
this  the  business  would  be  thrown  behind  into  the 
past,  and  my  mind  practically  relieved  from  any 
further  thought  and  worry  about  it. " 

**The  Dispensations''  was  exhibited  in  Wash- 
ington, at  St.  Johns  Hall,  early  in  March  and  at- 
tracted considerable  attention. 

An  offer  of  purchase  for  $10,000  was  received 
from  Rev.  Samuel  Beiler,  Vice  Chancellor  of  the 
American  University,  Washington,  this  figure  hav- 
ing been  agreed  upon  as  a  fair  compensation  by 
several  artists  to  whom  the  matter  was  referred. 

Mr.  Beiler  at  the  time  requested  the  Washing- 
ton artist,  Mr.  Richard  N.  Brooke,  to  give  him  his 
opinion  of  the  painting,  which  he  did  in  the  follow- 
ing letter : 

'T)ear  Sir  :  After  very  careful  study *of  Mr.  Oertel's  picture 
of  *The  Dispensations  of  Promise  and  the  Law'  I  am  fully  con- 
firmed in  the  conviction  that  it  is  a  great  work  of  art  and  a 
very  distinct  and  notable  triumph  over  the  difficulties  that  must 
necessarily  be  met  where  large  masses  of  figures  must  be  grouped 
with  exact  regard  to  the  literary  requirements  of  the  subject. 

"Looking  back  I  can  recall  no  painter  (out  of  quite  an 
extended  acquaintance)  who,  in  my  belief,  would  liave  met  all 
these  requirements  as  fully  and  at  the  same  time  preserved  a 
harmony  of  color,  and  excellence  of  composition,  as  I  consider 
Mr.  Oertel  has  done  in  this  instance. 

"I  have  passed,  in  the  aggregate,  hours  before  this  picture, 
and  believe  I  have  expressed  the  opinion  of  every  serious  artist 


178  A  VISION  REALIZED 

who  has  seen  it,  and  I  could  give  technical  reasons  for  my  judg- 
ment, if  necessary. 

^*It  appears  to  me  one  of  those  rare  cases  in  which  the  some- 
thing needed  to  be  said  has  found  the  one  man  possessed  of  the 
necessary  equipment  to  say  it  clearly  and  conclusively. 

"Hence  I  trust  this  notable  picture  will  find  its  appropriate 
place  in  some  institution  where  it  may  become  a  public  heritage, 
and  do  the  good  of  which  I  believe  it  to  be  capable.  It  seems 
part  of  the  nature  of  things  that  this  should  be  so. 

"Richard  N.  Brooke." 

The  following  article  was  also  written  by  Mr. 
Brooke  for  the  Washington  Evening  Star: 

''The  Dispensations  of  Promise  and  the  Law." 
''a  great  historical  painting. 

"Editor  Evening  Star:  During  part  of  last  week  there 
was  placed  on  private  view  in  St.  John's  Parish  Hall,  and  is 
now  on  its  way  to  the  Nashville  Exposition,  a  canvas  well  worthy 
of  this  caption,  and  than  which  no  more  notable  work  of  art 
has  been  produced  in  America  within  the  experience  of  the  writer. 
Si  ace  no  adequate  notice  of  this  artistic  event  has  reached  the 
press  through  the  usual  channels — due  doubtless  to  the  attitude 
of  the  artist  himself  toward  this  particular  work — would  the 
Star  pennit  me,  speaking  from  the  professional  point  of  view, 
to  give  to  this  noble  effort  the  public  importance  it  deserves? 

"Modern  painters  have  been  accused,  not  unjustly,  of  having 
abandoned  the  field  of  great  composition,  of  having  caught  the 
prevalent  spirit  of  haste,  or,  when  they  undertake  large  can- 
vases— which  under  such  circumstances  they  do  too  frequently — 
of  attaching  more  importance  to  the  technique  of  parts  than  to 
the  painter's  own  subjective  vocation  to  his  conception,  which 
is  the  essential  basis  for  great  pictures.  None  of  these  things 
can  justly  be  said  of  the  artist  and  picture  in  question.  To  a 
correct  understanding  of  both  it  may  be  necessary  to  give  some 
account  of  the  motives  and  circumstances  leading  up  to  its 
production. 

"The  painter.  Rev.  Johannes  A.  Oertel,  is  not,  as  might  be 
inferred,  an  amateur,  but  one  who,  before  entering  the  ministry. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      1 79 

had  already  risen  high  in  his  profession,  and  whose  brush,  as 
this  picture  will  attest,  has  lost  nothing  of  its  powers  through 
having  been  dedicated  to  the  cause  to  which  he  has  given  all 
his  talents. 

"Born  in  Bavaria  in  1823,  he  began  life,  like  many  eminent 
artists,  as  a  steel  engraver,  receiving  his  first  impulse  toward 
composition  from  Kaulbach,  at  Munich. 

"He  came  to  New  York  at  the  age  of  25  and  afterward 
entered  the  ministry  while  at  the  height  of  his  success  as  a 
painter.  His  subsequent  life  for  nearly  40  years  has  been  passed 
in  various  charges,  chiefly  in  the  South,  often  officiating  in 
edifices  designed  by  him  and  partially  built  by  his  own  hands, 
for  he  is  not  only  a  gifted  architect  but  also  a  skilful  carver 
and  worker  in  wood.  Throughout  his  labors  as  pastor  he  has 
still  continued  to  be  a  prolific  painter,  keeping  well  in  touch 
with  all  that  is  best  in  current  art  and  perhaps  the  gainer 
through  being  far  removed  from  the  contact  and  influence  of 
its  passing  fads.  Every  one  will  recall  his  picture  of  the  'Eock 
of  Ages,^  of  which  the  steel  engraving  is  well  known  the  world 
over  and  has  carried  more  of  benediction  to  thousands  of  Chris- 
tian homes  than  perhaps  any  single  picture  thus  published. 

"The  present  work,  while  no  less  serious  in  intention,  is 
immeasurably  more  important  as  an  artistic  achievement.  The 
first  composition  was  made  for  it  more  than  40  years  ago;  to 
paint  it  has  been  the  dream  of  a  lifetime.  But  it  has  been  only 
within  the  last  three  years,  and  when  the  artist  had  quite  de- 
spaired of  ever  attaining  his  desire,  that  circumstances  have 
been  so  arranged  as  to  permit  him  to  carry  it  into  execution. 

"The  picture  illustrates  the  Mosaic  Dispensation  and  com- 
prises the  entire  period  of  Old  Testament  History,  the  central 
figure  being  Moses,  around  whom  are  grouped  the  lives  of  the 
Patriarchs,  the  Prophets,  and  the  Kings,  with  minor  groups 
representing  the  offiering  of  first  fruits,  the  sin  offering,  thank- 
offering,  the  Babylonian  captivity,  the  overthrow  of  the  gods 
Moloch,  Baal,  Ashtoreth,  Dagon,  and  their  votaries,  the  punish- 
ment of  the  scoffer,  the  altar  of  sacrifice,  the  High  Priest,  the 
Ministering  Angels,  and,  over  all,  radiating  its  light  upon  the 
scene  of  which  it  is  the  source  of  illumination,  the  Shekinah. 

"To  group  140  figures  successfully  is  an  achievement;  to  do 
this  with  a  strict  observance  of  the  historic  (literary)  relation 
and  importance  of  each  part  multiplies  the  difficulty;  but  to 
accomplish  both  without  the  result  of  an  unpleasant  line  or  a 


1 80  A  VISION  REALIZED 

single  disturbance  of  the  color  harmony  is  a  decided  triumph 
for  an  artist.  This  Mr.  Oertel  has  suceeded  in  doing  to  a  very- 
marvelous  degree.  This  is  not  to  say  that  Mr.  OerteFs  picture 
is  without  any  discoverable  flaw,  or  that  its  method  of  execution 
would  suit  every  follower  of  every  special  line  of  technique. 
Of  what  picture  ever  painted  could  that  be  said?  But  Art 
criticism  stands  upon  a  broader  basis  than  this,  and  one  soon 
learns  that  the  standard  of  merit  of  a  picture  is  not  its  con- 
formity to  every  variety  of  mind,  but  the  sum  total  of  its  excel- 
lencies. Regarded  in  this  light,  I  can  recall  no  picture  produced 
in  recent  years  (and  I  think  I  have  seen  most  important  can- 
vases) which  met  all  the  difficulties  of  composition  more  uni- 
formly as  to  arrangement  of  line,  light,  color,  balance,  relative 
importance  of  groups,  centralization  of  the  interest — and  all  this 
with  a  strict  adherence  to  the  fundamental  conception  of  the 
subject — than  this  has  done. 

"And,  after  all,  the  value  of  a  picture  is  the  power  and  spirit 
of  its  original  conception;  all  else  is  the  mere  scaffolding;  if 
this  be  wanting,  no  quality  of  execution  can  elevate  a  common- 
place idea. 

"Space  would  not  permit  a  detailed  description  of  the  literary 
meanings  of  this  composition,  even  were  it  possible  to  describe 
in  words  the  complicated  relation  of  its  various  groups.  I  can 
only  point  in  passing  to  the  following  features,  which  will  address 
themselves  to  all  observers  (for  the  picture  will  probably  return 
to  Washington),  viz.:  The  splendid  sense  of  light  throughout 
the  canvas;  the  feeling  of  atmosphere  which  places  each  group 
at  its  proper  distances;  the  fitness  and  character  of  the  types, 
such  as  the  prophet  Daniel,  David,  and  others;  the  charming 
color  and  technique  of  the  heads  in  the  middle  plane,  such  as 
Samson,  or  Joshua;  the  perfect  perspective  of  the  figures  upon 
different  levels;  the  dramatic  power  of  the  action  in  the  fore- 
ground groups ;  and  the  agreeable,  almost  sensuous  sense  of  color, 
quite  rare  in  works  of  this  character. 

"The  problem  of  dealing  with  larger  masses  of  figures  in 
costume  has  always  been  so  to  arrange  the  patchwork  of  color 
spots  as  to  avoid  unpleasant  juxtapositions.  In  this  the  artist 
is  usually  satisfied  if  he  has  succeeded  in  producing  ^harmony 
of  analogy.^  Mr.  Oertel  has  met  this  difficulty  in  a  bold  and 
somewhat  original  way.  Keeping  one  predominate  tone,  such  as 
sage  green,  in  one  group  of  figures,  passing  by  a  skilful  transi- 
tion into  the  prevalence  of  rose  or  violet  in  the  adjoining  group. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      181 

and  so  throughout  the  canvas.  And  thus  the  eye  is  led  by  an 
agreeable  rhythm  and  harmony  of  color  from  group  to  group,  each 
having  its  distinct  characteristic. 

"Nothing  could  be  more  beautiful  in  color  than  a  certain 
minor  group  in  the  middle  distance  made  up  of  halftones,  which 
serve  as  a  rest  to  the  eye  after  passing  over  another  group  of 
which  reds  are  the  keynote.  This  method  of  treatment  is  relieved 
of  any  suggestion  of  monotony  by  the  introduction  of  small 
notes  of  contrasting  color,  such  as  the  touch  of  red  given  by  the 
helmet  plume  in  the  foreground. 

"All  these  points  of  merit  will  in  time  speak  for  them- 
selves, but  after  several  hours  passed  in  the  study  of  its  merits, 
it  appears  to  me  both  timely  and  proper  to  state  publicly  what 
I  believe  to  be  in  substance  the  opinion  of  all  serious  artists 
who  have  seen  it. 

"Mr.  Oertel  has  accomplished  something  of  note  in  art,  and 
his  work  should  find  some  fitting  place  in  one  of  our  great 
educational  institutions  or  galleries  of  pictures,  where  it  would 
serve  as  an  example  of  persistent  and  successful  endeavor  apart 
from  its  great  historical  value. 

"Richard  N.  Brooke. 

"Washington,  D.  C,  March  27,  1897 r 

Mr.  Seller's  offer  was  refused  by  the  artist  for 
a  number  of  reasons,  the  chief  one  of  which  was 
that  the  picture  was  one  of  a  series  and  should  not 
be  separated  from  the  others  which  he  Intended  to 
go  on  and  paint.  Of  course  Mr.  Seller  could  not 
guarantee  to  take  the  others,  even  If  he  desired 
them,  as  they  did  not  exist  and  there  was  no  cer- 
tainty that  Mr.  Oertel  would  live  to  produce  them. 
So  the  picture  remained  the  property  of  the  artist 
and  was  sent  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  to  be  exhibited  at 
the  State  exposition  then  In  progress.  Later  It  was 
sent  to  Baltimore  and  placed  on  exhibition  there. 

He  went  Immediately  to  work  on  the  second  of 
the  ''Series,"  ''The  Redeemer."    This  was  prac- 


182  A  VISION  REALIZED 

tically  completed  by  the  end  of  the  year,  but  in  addi- 
tion he  did  much  other  work. 

*^The  Evening  Sacrifice,"  ''Our  First  Parents, 
over  against  Eden,  at  Evening  Sacrifice,''  ''The 
Martyrdom  of  St.  Stephen,"  7  feet  7  inches  by  9 
feet  3  inches  for  St.  Stephen's  Mission  Chapel,  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  "The  Expulsion  from  Eden,"  were  the 
paintings  produced,  and  a  carved  pulpit  and  lec- 
tern in  oak  were  made  for  Emmanuel  Church, 
Bel  Air. 

The  year  ended  with  disaster  of  a  nature  that 
for  some  time  clogged  the  wheels  of  the  household 
and  hindered  art  work  as  well.  Mrs.  Oertel,  on 
Christmas  eve,  when  the  family  were  all  gathered 
together  in  anticipation  of  enjoying  the  holidays, 
fell  downstairs  and  sustained  serious  injuries.  For 
weeks  little  else  was  done  but  care  for  this,  the  most 
important  member  of  the  family.  Her  recupera- 
tive powers  astonished  the  doctors;  though  with 
broken  arm  and  ankle  and  numerous  strains  and 
bruises  she  rallied  from  the  shock  rapidly,  sat  up 
the  third  day  and  had  her  picture  taken,  and  never 
ceased  to  direct  and  advise  those  who  so  depended 
on  her  for  counsel. 

The  third  of  the  series  was  not  at  once  at- 
tempted. He  put  the  finishing  touches  on  "The 
Eedeemer"  during  the  first  months  of  1898  and 
painted,  life  size  (54  by  100  inches)  "Jesus  or 
Barrabbas,"  and  the  last  of  April  finished  a  grand 
lion  picture  called  "The  Desert  King."  The 
"Jesus  or  Barabbas"  was  sent  to  the  'Academy'  in 
New  York  ' '  for  possible  exhibition. ' '  When  ' '  The 
Dispensations"  was  on   exhibition  in  Baltimore 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      183 

(May)  he  visited  that  city  and  while  there  deliv- 
ered several  lectures  on  art  and  Christian 
symbolism. 

While  there  he  met  an  old  Bavarian  friend,  Dr. 
Volk  ^Svhom,"  he  says,  '^I  found  busy— by  gas- 
light—on some  silver  chasing,  in  the  manner— and 
what  is  yet  far  superior— in  the  spirit  of  those  men 
with  whom  art  was  a  God-given  inspiration,  a 
Lumple  love  pursuit,  their  life  a  joy  in  unselfish 
labor;  the  world,  its  applause  and  rewards,  an 
almost  unknown  quantity.  His  works  excited  my 
surprise  and  honest  admiration,  the  more  so  be- 
cause he  is  self-taught  and  does  this  work  after 
dark  until  12  or  1  at  night  with  immense  industry 
and  perseverance.  It  is  a  great  encouragement  to 
meet  such  a  case  in  this  our  degenerate,  shallow 
days,  and  the  memory  of  it  will  help  me  in  hours  of 
difficulty  and  struggle  such  as  are  my  lot  not  infre- 
quently. The  genuine  art  spirit  is  yet  a  possibility 
after  all,  and  I  thank  the  Lord  for  even  one  in- 
stance, as  an  example  that  links  the  great  past  still 
with  the  present,  despite  the  blatant,  gaudy,  irrev- 
erent, and  flighty  doings  of  the  madly  experiment- 
ing youthful  rabble  of  the  day. 

''Opportunity  to  see  some  new  things,  though 
not  in  the  shape  of  paintings,  and  to  have  some 
talks  on  art  matters  will  furnish  me  stimulus  for 
some  time  to  come.  Ah!  and  so  often  I  have  felt 
the  need  of  it.  Isolation  and  solitude  may  be  favor- 
able to  productiveness,  but  continued  perforce  too 
long  stagnation  sets  in  and  a  paralysis  of  virile 
action  not  over  good  for  works  for  art.  Situated  as 
I  am  it  is  a  hard  battle  in  which  often  I  go  to  the 


184  A  VISION  REALIZED 

ground,  though  others  may  not  see  the  defeat,  and 
almost  despair." 

Of  the  attempt  to  have  the  ^^  Jesus  or  Barabbas" 
exhibited  at  the  Academy  he  wrote  Mr.  Hyde 
(Mar.  15)  : 

^^The  modern  New  York  art  world  has  once 
more  given  me  unmistakable  evidence  that  I  would 
be  a  deal  wiser  for  hauling  in  my  sensitive  antennae 
for  aye  and  retiring  into  my  little  shell  as  the  only 
fit  place  for  a  presumptuous  professor  of  the  Cruci- 
fied and  forever  stay  there.  That  despised,  thorn- 
crowned  Nazarene  is  no  more  welcome  to-day  than 
he  was  18  centuries  ago. 

"By  the  inclosed  photograph  ('^  Jesus  or  Barab- 
bas")  you  can  see  with  what  subject  I  have  dared 
to  test  the  discriminating  judges  of  the  National 
Academy,  ^The  Committee  of  Selection,'  and  this 
very  day  notice  came  from  my  agent  that  the  pic- 
ture had  been  returned  to  him.  To  be  sure  it  is 
exactly  what  I  anticipated.  Such  things  have  no 
longer  a  place  in  modern  exhibitions.  The  Acad- 
emy is  revolutionized— dear  old  fogy  affair— and 
got  into  the  control  of  Parisian-taught  youngsters ; 
the  former  respectable,  sober,  conservative  institu- 
tion is  gone.  Well,  I  shall  in  future  act  on  the 
lesson.  My  wife  suggested  I  should  write  to  you 
making  inquiry  whether  a  chance  can  not  be  found 
in  Boston  for  exhibition.  Your  judgment  may  tell 
you  whether  there  are  any  chances  whatever  in 
intellectual  Boston.    I  myself  do  not  know. 

*'I  confess  to  have  gotten  at  fault  with  the 
world.  Somehow  we  do  not  agree.  What  is  more, 
I  do  not  want  to  agree.    You  have  no  idea  what  an 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      185 

apathetic  fellow  to  the  world's  blandishments  your 
old  friend  has  got  to  be.  Diogenes  in  his  tub,  with 
the  great  Alexander  before  him,  is  no  circumstance 
in  comparison.  Well,  I  have  with  admiration  read 
the  maxims  of  the  heathen  stoic  philosophers,  and 
would  it  not  be  a  shame  for  an  instructed  Christian 
to  be  outdone  in  indi:fference  to  the  world  by  them? 

^* Haven't  we  better  ground  to  stand  on  and  an 
infinitely  superior  example?  Why,  there  is  abso- 
lute luxury  in  this  delightful  independence,  and 
those  New  York  fellows  have  no  conception  what  a 
wealth  they  have  contributed  to  it.  If  they  knew, 
chagrin  would  make  them  recall  my  picture." 

A  glorious  independence  for  him  it  truly  was  no 
longer  to  be  by  reason  of  financial  conditions  at  the 
mercy  of  the  ^^Committe  of  Selection"  for  daily 
bread. 

As  the  time  drew  near  for  the  exhibition  in  Bal- 
timore to  close  he  began  to  feel  the  responsibility  of 
having  these  large  works  in  his  possession.  It  was 
not  his  intention  to  keep  them  for  any  length  of 
time,  and  after  due  consideration  he  wrote  the  fol- 
lowing letter  to  the  Bishop  of  Tennessee. 

It  may  be  explained  here  that  on  going  to 
Sewanee  in  1886  he  had  been  transferred  from  the 
Diocese  of  Washington  to  that  of  Tennessee  under 
which  he  still  remained. 

"Bel  Air,  Md.,  April  16,  1898. 
"Eight  Eev.  Thomas  F.  Gailor,  D.D. 

"My  Dear  Bishop  :  The  substance  of  this  letter  has  by  in- 
tention been  written  long  ago.  But  what  I  desire  to  say  now 
needs  introduction  by  a  brief  history  concerning  three  large 
paintings  which  together  form  a  series. 

"It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  the  first  embodied  design — 


186  A  VISION  REALIZED 

the  second  of  the  series — came  to  me  as  a  veritable  vision, 
without  conscious  preparation  or  forethought,  45  years  ago. 

"The  second  also  was  given  me  in  a  similar  manner  a  few 
years  afterward,  and  subsequently  carried  out  as  a  large  crayon 
drawing  from  which  some  photographs  were  made  in  1864  or 
1865.  But  until  three  years  ago,  by  want  of  means  and  other 
causes,  their  execution  on  a  becoming  scale  was  delayed  and 
quite  mysteriously  hindered. 

"It  never  seemed  to  me  probable  that  in  this  country,  and 
with  the  popular  taste  inclined  as  I  knew  it  to  be,  there  would 
ever  be  an  opportunity  of  sale.  The  pictures  would  have  to  be 
made  a  donation  to  some  public  institution,  a  free  gift  for  general 
benefit. 

"An  opportunity  for  sale  was  indeed  presented  for  the  first 
in  the  series  while  for  a  few  days  on  exhibition  in  Washington, 
D.  C,  and  before  it  went  to  Nashville,  but  the  offer  came  from 
the  vice  chancellor  of  the  ^American  University'  (Methodist), 
and  the  terms  of  payment  proposed  of  $10,000,  the  sum  named 
by  a  competent  artist  as  ^merely  a  respectable  compensation,' 
gave  no  suflBcient  guaranty  and  had  to  be  rejected.  Otherwise, 
without  any  participation  of  mine  except  by  passive  yielding 
on  account  of  their  urgency,  two  efforts  were  made  to  secure 
these  paintings,  first  to  the  Cathedral  established  at  Washington, 
and  then  at  New  York  by  interested  clerical  friends.  Both  failed 
as  I  anticipated. 

"I  vieAved  these  failures  as  a  divine  indication  that  the  course 
for  many  years  existing  in  my  o\vti  mind  was  what  my  Master 
intended,  and  that,  as  the  subjects  were  freely  given  to  me,  so 
they  should  when  adequately  embodied  be  freely  consecrated 
to  the  Lord's  service. 

"I  therefore  now  offer  them,  through  you,  to  the  Theological 
Department  of  the  University  of  the  South. 

"The  Series  should  go  together. 

"Although  each  composition  is  a  unit  by  itself,  yet  they  tell 
a  connected  story — the  Story  of  Eedemption;  the  first,  the  Old 
Testament  preparation;  the  second,  redemption  as  practically 
applied  to  the  individual  man  during  a  time  of  probation;  the 
third,  the  Era  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Church  Idea. 

"A  fourth  one  has  originally  been  in  my  thoughts  and  par- 
tially noted  doAvn,  namely,  the  consummation  of  the  divine 
scheme  in  the  future  of  God's  Church  until  the  end.  But 
inasmuch  as  this  is  still  prophetic  and  not  already  historic,  the 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      187 

three  may  be  suffered  to  stand  by  themselves  for  the  historic 
fulfilment  of  the  Divine  Plan  of  Eedemption  in  its  compre- 
hensive features. 

"As  such  the  series,  I  devoutly  trust,  will  be  no  invaluable 
aid  to  students  by  a  graphic  delineation  of  important  facts  of 
theology,  and  if  at  Sewanee  they  accomplish  this  mission  I  shall 
have  very  sufficient  compensation. 

"The  first  of  the  series  is  at  present  in  Baltimore,  and  only 
for  a  few  days  more.  On  that  account  I  deem  it  a  great  favor 
if  you  let  me  have  a  decision,  either  of  acceptance  or  the  contrary, 
at  your  earliest  moment.  A  few  words  will  sufiSce.  I  do  not 
know  whether  you  can  act  alone,  or  have  to  confer  with  the 
vice  chancellor,  but  in  either  case  an  early  answer  would  direct 
my  necessary  movements  here. 

"One  condition  only  I  would  beg  to  make,  namely,  that  in 
case  you  accept  the  gift  for  the  University  the  institution  should 
assume  the  cost  of  transportation  from  Baltimore  to  Sewanee. 
It  can  be  only  a  few  dollars.  Painting  and  frame  are  in  separate 
long  boxes,  the  painting  rolled,  with  stretcher  in  one,  the  frame, 
home  made,  and  in  sections,  in  the  other.  By  paying  freight 
at  the  other  end  I  imagine  better  care  can  be  insured  of  the  goods. 

"This  preliminary  step  settled,  the  next  ones,  like  the  fur- 
nishing of  a  description  and  sending  of  the  second  painting, 
nearly  done,  can  be  arranged  in  due  order. 

"By  writing  this  letter  a  load  of  shifting  quantity  has  been 
dropped  from  my  shoulders. 

"When  the  destination  of  these  works,  for  so  long  carried 
as  a  solemn  obligation,  has  been  fixed  I  shall  be  as  a  man  who 
has  performed  his  vow  and  relieved  his  conscience. 

"My  friend  Bishop  Quintard  has  gone  Home.  I  now  with 
heartiest  devotion  greet  you  as  my  Bishop,  and  myself  subscribe 
as  your  servant  in  the  Lord, 

"Johannes  A.  Oeetel." 

On  receiving  this  letter  Bishop  Gailor  for- 
warded it  to  the  vice  chancellor  of  the  University 
and  received  the  following  reply : 

"Apeil  35,  1898. 
"My  Dear  Bishop  Gailor  :   Your  letter  of  22d  inst.,  inclosing 
one  from  Mr.  Oertel,  is  duly  received.    We  certainly  appreciate 


188  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Doctor's  Oertel's  most  gracious  consideration  for  us,  and  will 
gladly  defray  all  expense  in  connection  with  the  shipping  of 
the  pictures.  We  should  value  them  very  highly,  and  will  give 
them  the  very  best  space  at  our  disposal. 

"Please  to  convey  to  Doctor  Oertel  our  high  appreciation  of 
his  gift. 

"With  warmest  regards,  yours,  very  faithfully, 

"B.  L.  Wiggins, 
^'Vice  Chancellor.'* 

At  the  same  time  the  vice  chancellor  wrote  to 
Mr.  Oertel : 

"April  25,  1898. 
"The  Rev.  Johannes  A.  Oertel, 
Bel  Air,  Maryland. 

"Eeverend  and  Dear  Sir  :  Bishop  Gailor  has  communicated 
to  me  the  contents  of  your  letter  to  him,  and  I  wish  to  assure 
you  of  the  high  appreciation  of  the  University  for  your  most 
generous  offer. 

"The  University  will  gladly  defray  the  expense  in  connection 
with  the  shipping  of  the  pictures,  and  we  shall  place  them  to 
the  best  advantage  on  our  walls. 

"Your  other  picture,  'The  Shadow  of  the  Rock,'  is  hung 
in  our  newest  building  and  people  come  from  a  distance  to  see 
and  admire  it. 

"With  high  regard,  yours,  very  faithfully, 

"B.  L.  Wiggins, 
''Vice  Chancellor." 


Bishop  Gailor 's  letter  to  Mr.  Oertel  follows: 

"Memphis,  Tenn.,  Apnl  29,  1898. 

"My  Dear  Mr.  Oertel  :  I  thank  you  with  all  my  heart  in 
the  name  of  the  University,  and  as  one  who  learned  to  regard 
your  life  and  work  with  reverence  in  the  old  days  for  your 
thought  of  our  dear  Sewanee.  I  had  to  write  to  the  vice  chan- 
cellor before  I  could  formally  accept  the  gift,  and  now  I  inclose 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      189 

his  letter.     The  board  of  trustees  will  of  course  make  a  formal 
acknowledgment  at  its  meeting  in  August. 

"Assuring  you  of  my  cordial  regard,  and  with  affectionate 
greeting  I  am, 

"Most  sincerely,  yours, 

"Thomas  F.  Gailor. 
"The  Eev.  J.  A.  Oertel, 
''Bel  Air,  Mdr 


CHAPTER  XV. 

On  receiving  Mr.  Oertel's  letter  in  regard  to  the 
possibilities  of  exhibiting  in  Boston,  Mr.  Hyde  im- 
mediately began  to  investigate  and  f  oimd  the  man 
H.  Jay  Smith  mentioned  before  in  connection  with 
the  ^^Eock  of  Ages."  When  Mr.  Smith  heard  of 
the  large  works  Mr.  Oertel  had  recently  painted  he 
became  very  much  interested  and  at  once  made  ar- 
rangements to  go  to  Bel  Air  to  see  them. 

Before  he  could  do  so  Mr.  Oertel  had  another 
accident,  which  again  for  a  time  put  a  stop  to  art 
work.  He  had  been  repeatedly  warned  not  to  ride 
a ' '  wheel, ' '  yet  he  persisted  in  doing  so  and  had  both 
bicycle  and  tricycle. 

A  letter  written  by  Mrs.  Oertel  to  her  son  in 
New  York  (May  4)  tells  the  story. 

^^We  certainly  have  become  the  record  ^break- 
ers' of  Hartford  County.  Don't  you  remember, 
long  ago,  when  Papa  first  got  Svheels  in  his  head,' 
you  said  to  me,  ^If  Papa  ever  attempts  to  ride  a 
wheel  he  will  break  that  right  wrist  over  again"? 
You  were  a  prophet.  He  has  done  it.  Here  he  sits 
with  his  arm  in  splints,  suif  ering  like  a  dog,  and— 
the  wheel  is  for  sale.  He  was  about  ready  for  it. 
Had  just  finished  the  big  picture  (^The  Redeemer'), 
taken  down  the  ladder,  and  cleaned  out  the  room, 
so  if  Mr.  Smith  comes  he  is  ready  for  him." 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      191 

Mr.  Smith  arrived  some  days  later.  He  was 
very  much  pleased  with  the  pictures  and  at 
once  made  a  proposition  to  take  them  for  ex- 
hibit. He  believed  that  in  New  England,  Bos- 
ton especially,  they  would  be  appreciated  and 
attract  attention. 

Mr.  Oertel  was  very  skeptical  as  to  the  results 
of  such  an  exhibition.  ^^He  is  like  a  stag  at  bay," 
writes  Mrs.  Oertel.  ^^He  has  had  so  many  failures 
and  disappointments  that  he  is  out  of  all  sorts  with 
the  business  world. ' '  However,  he  consented  in  the 
end  to  let  Mr.  Smith  take  the  pictures  provided  the 
vice  chancellor  of  the  University  to  which  he  had 
given  them  was  willing  to  have  them  go  before  they 
finally  were  sent  to  Sewanee. 

This  permission  was  given  and  the  three  large 
canvases,  ^^The  Dispensations,"  **The  Redeemer," 
and  *^  Jesus  or  Barabbas"  were  forwarded  to  Mr. 
Smith  at  Boston. 

After  Smith  had  placed  the  pictures  on  exhibi- 
tion he  wrote  that  as  he  was  advertising  them  as  by 
the  painter  of  ^^The  Eock  of  Ages"  he  wished  he 
could  have  a  copy  of  that  famous  picture  to  exhibit 
with  them. 

Mr.  Oertel  at  once  offered  to  paint  one  for  the 
purpose,  and  did  so,  at  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Smith, 
making  the  life-size  painting  before  mentioned. 
This  was  completed  August  20  and  sent  on. 

Mr.  Smith  was  so  sanguine  of  results,  looking 
at  it  purely  from  the  standpoint  of  a  financial  ven- 
ture, that  it  seemed  possible  some  degree  of  success 
might  attend  the  undertaking.  Mr.  Oertel's  style 
had  greatly  changed  in  the  last  years,  and  what  he 


192  A  VISION  REALIZED 

now  offered  was  vastly  superior  to  the  works  of 
former  times. 

^^You  do  not  know  how  he  paints  now,"  writes 
his  wife  to  ^'Edward".  '^The  old  brown  style  of 
the  past  is  all  gone;  he  has  become  a  first  class 
colorist.  Don't  think  it  partiality  in  me— for  he 
calls  me  his  severest  critic— but  if  you  could  see  his 
present  works  you  would  be  astonished.  ^^The 
Gethsemane"  and  ^'Expulsion"  are  gems.  He  is 
just  finishing  a  grand  lion  picture,  and  if  he  saw  an 
opening  for  his  paintings  he  would  work  like  a 
steam  engine.  He  executes  most  rapidly  and  has 
ideas  by  the  score  waiting  the  time  when  they  can 
be  painted,  and  new  ones  keep  crowding  on." 

Smith  had  also  for  exhibition  at  the  same  time 
*Hhe  most  extraordinary  nude  ever  exhibited  in 
America"  (^'Rona")  and  crowds  flocked  to  see  it, 
but  the  exhibition  of  the  Oertel  pictures  did  not 
prove  the  success  that  Smith  expected  and  at  first 
he  said  he  thought  it  was  because  he  did  not  know 
how  to  handle  that  class  of  work.  After  further 
efforts  had  been  made  he  wrote : 

''When  I  wrote  you  I  had  failed  because  I  did 
not  know  how  to  handle  the  paintings  I  should  have 
written,  instead,  because  I  did  not  know  the  New 
England  people.  I  find  the  vast  majority  of  people 
in  this  section  care  very  little  for  orthodox  ideas, 
and  want  subjects  either  of  the  nude,  mirthful,  or 
startling  and  sensational.  People  will  not  pay  to 
see  a  painting  unless  sensational  in  some  way. ' '  On 
receipt  of  this  letter  Mr.  Oertel  immediately  or- 
dered the  ''Dispensations,"  "The  Redeemer,"  and 
"Jesus  or  Barabbas"  forwarded  to  Sewanee.    It 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      193 

appears  that  the  latter  painting  was  also  presented 
to  the  University  at  this  time,  though  there  is  no 
record  of  the  action. 

During  the  early  part  of  this  year  he  was  busy 
making  studies  for  the  third  of  the  ''Series,"  ''The 
Dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  and  began  to 
paint  on  it  in  August.  He  writes:  "I  am  working 
down  from  the  top  and  for  over  a  week  have  been 
among  the  angelic  host;  now  among  the  Apostles— 
exalted  company  to  be  sure— and  I  have  to  use  very 
pure  color  to  express  it.  This  picture  will  be  my 
witness  for  Truth  and  a  protest  against  modern  un- 
belief. ' '  On  August  8, 1899,  he  was  notified  that  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  had  been  conferred  on 
him  by  the  University  of  the  South.  This  honor 
was  accepted  in  the  following  characteristic  letter : 

"Bel  Air,  Md.,  August  12,  1899. 
"B.  S.  Wiggins,  D.D., 

''Vice  Chancellor,  University  of  the  South,  Sewanee,  Tenn. 

"My  Dear  Sir  :  But  from  Sewanee,  I  would  not  accept  the 
honor  the  board  of  trustees  has  been  pleased  to  confer  on  me 
by  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity,  being  conscious  of  neither 
scholarship  nor  learning  sufficient  for  such  distinction. 

"It  must  have  been  offered,  I  must  believe,  as  an  indorsement 
by  the  board  of  the  scriptural  doctrine  in  my  pictures  being 
trustworthy  interpreters,  and  as  such  I  accept  the  great  honor 
thankfully  from  the  University  that  has  my  love  and  service, 
and  let  it  be  to  me  a  stimulus  more  truly  to  deserve  it. 
"Yours,  very  faithfully, 

"Johannes  A.  Oertel." 

During  the  fall  he  repainted  the  ^'EzekiePs 
Vision,"  destroying  the  original  copy  made  some 
years  before.  His  experience  since  the  first  one 
was  made  had  taught  him  that  a  large  canvas,  where 


194  A  VISION  REALIZED 

so  many  figures  were  grouped,  should  not  be 
painted  as  it  had  been.  He  did  not  know  how  to 
properly  handle  it  then;  now  he  did— and  it  must 
be  done  over  entirely. 

In  the  spring  of  this  year  his  son  Fred,  who  was 
in  the  service  of  the  Government,  had  succeeded  in 
being  transferred  from  New  York  to  Washington 
and  it  was  deemed  best  to  again  bring  the  family 
together  in  the  Virginia  home. 

Accordingly,  on  October  4,  ^^Owls  Roost,"  as  the 
Vienna  house  was  called  because  of  the  propensity 
of  the  family  to  keep  late  hours,  was  again  occu- 
pied, Mrs.  Oertel  and  the  grandchildren  removing 
from  Bel  Air,  though  Mr.  Oertel  preferred  to  re- 
main until  he  could  complete  the  big  picture  on 
which  he  was  then  working. 

His  life  while  there,  alone  again,  perhaps  had 
best  be  told  as  he  wrote  it  in  letters  to  his  wife. 

October  23.  **Day  by  day,"  he  says,  ^'I  toil  on, 
conscious  that  what  at  present  occupies  my  heart, 
mind,  and  brush  is  not  an  unimportant  contribution 
as  a  witness  in  behalf  of  the  truth  now  so  wantonly 
assailed  by  the  modern  spirit  of  anti-Christ.  Daily 
I  am  bringing  out  with  greater  emphasis  the  super- 
natural element  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  its  God- 
commissioned  founders. 

^^I  am  now  in  hopes  that  by  the  end  of  this  year 
I  can  close  the  substantial  work  on  the  painting  so 
that  little  besides  harmonizing  will  have  to  lap  over 
into  1900 ;  already  I  leap  forward  in  mind,  now  and 
then,  to  the  fourth,  and  arrange  for  the  upper 
portion." 

On  his  birthday,  November  3,  he  wrote:  '^By 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      195 

right  of  custom  I  ought  to  have  sent  a  birthday 
remembrance  to  Fred,  if  I  were  not  cowed  into 
bashfuhiess  by  the  ever-recurring  confession  of 
poverty  by  offering  a  picture.  Why,  the  miserable 
drug— it's  too  plentiful  and  dirt  cheap  to  give  here- 
after to  any  of  my  family.  I  am  sick  of  them 
myself.  *  *  * 

^*As  I  have  the  happy  faculty  of  almost  as  well 
looking  behind  as  before,  I  undertook  the  barber 
business  with  my  hair  in  propria  persona,  and  suc- 
ceeded, of  course,  astonishingly  well.  Conquering 
persistent  obstacles  is  one  of  the  chief  lessons  the 
many  years  of  life  have  hammered  into  me  and 
*  self-help'  is  a  prominent  article  in  my  creed  of  ex- 
istence ;  or  am  I  too  old  for  unremitting  practice. 
What  would  become  of  my  art  without  if? 

'^I  am  called  on  often  by  visitors  to  explain  the 
picture,  now  nearly  done.  Don't  I  wish  I  had  the 
story  of  the  explanation  on  tinfoil  and  a  phono- 
graph on  hand,  so  that  somebody  else  could  grind  it 
out  for  visitors  without  the  necessity  of  my  pres> 
ence !  What  a  blessed  relief  it  would  be.  I  think 
such  an  apparatus  might  be  employed  with  benefit 
even  by  the  Sewanee  folk,  and  perhaps  I  will  make 
the  suggestion.  And  have  I  not  cause  for  congratu- 
lation that  in  any  event  the  lugubrious  business  will 
by  and  by  pass  to  others'  hands,  who,  perchance, 
see  things  I  never  dreamed  of  and  embellish  the 
story  of  redemption  in  a  manner  as  intelligible  and 
logical  as  the  typical  boy  composition  on  *the  sub- 
lime.' 

**And  now  the  birthday  talk  is  done  with  and 
the  light  of  the  day  departed  and  gone.    How  many 


196  A  VISION  REALIZED 

more— or  how  few— of  these  days,  and  what  are 
they  to  bring  of  joy  or  sorrow,  and  what  work  to  be 
yet  accomplished?  There  is  ever  the  dark  riddle 
of  the  Future  into  which  no  anxious  peering  can 
avail  to  give  knowledge  besides  the  sweet  hope  a 
true  faith  does  kindle  and  keep  bright  to  steer  our 
lives'  bark  by— and  thank  God  for  this.  Let  us 
through  the  darkness  be  cheered  by  the  Beacon  on 
yonder  shore. 

'^With  my  picture  I  am  coming  on  bravely.  I 
am  now  putting  to  rights  the  front  of  scoffers,  and 
gold  and  pleasure  seekers,  the  Briggses  and  Vol- 
taires  and  Tom  Paines  in  the  Church  with  the  gold 
hunters  and  stock  jobbers  and  usurers  everywhere. 
When  this  corner  is  done  and  a  revision  of  the 
Apostles,  there  remains  only  a  general  retouching 
and  harmonizing. ' ' 

On  January  20  he  began  to  get  ready  to  move 
and  did  some  packing.  ' '  But  ah  me, ' '  said  he, ' '  the 
accumulation  of  years.  Going  over  the  mass  makes 
me  feel  a  thousand  years  old,  and  it  is  such  a  sad 
and  dreary  reminder  of  a  multitude  of  people, 
plans,  and  associations,  all  now  in  the  dim  and  gray 
past  and  rising  again  like  ghosts  from  trodden- 
down  and  forgotten  graves.  To  have  to  rummage 
in  the  dust  of  ages  and  stir  up  the  remains  of  long 
departed  days,  and  think  over  again  faded  experi- 
ences, and  communicate  with  the  spirits  that  are 
gone— what  a  diary  it  is  to  read  perforce  over  and 
feel  so  many  hopes  and  pangs  and  disappointments 
again,  and  the  hot  determined  struggle  with  ad- 
verse fate  and  changeful  conditions  that,  after  all, 
got  the  mastery  and  shaped  one's  course  so  differ- 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      197 

ent  from  what  was  dreamed  of  and  the  fond  heart 
had  wished. 

^*  A  journal  kept  in  words  is  cruel  enough  in  con- 
juring up  the  buried  past;  but  one  in  the  visible 
forms  of  art,  giving  actual  shape  to  each  thouglit 
and  object  and  clustered  full  of  associations  more 
vivid  than  speech  of  any  sort  is— to  the  man  whose 
record  they  are,  and  who  in  the  course  of  the  years 
without  design  to  say  much  has  yet  said  far  more 
than  he  intended— a  most  pregnant  book  of  recol- 
lections, though  no  one  besides  can  read  as  he  can 
the  strange  cipher  of  his  life." 

So  he  lived  and  worked.  His  letters  speak  of 
the  many  little  things  done  for  him  by  his  friends 
who  took  pity  on  his  lone  condition. 

Whatever  acquaintance  with  the  people  may 
have  developed  during  seven  years'  residence 
among  them,  sure  it  is  that  in  no  place  of  sojourn- 
ing of  the  Oertel  family  in  their  wanderings  over 
the  broad  land  was  more  personal  kindness  shown 
them  than  by  the  good  people  of  Bel  Air,  Md. 

He  sent  a  couple  of  animal  pictures  *'In  a  New 
England  Quarry"  and  '^A  King  of  the  Desert"  to 
the  exhibition  in  Philadelphia,  once  more  tempting 
the  fates.  They  were  accepted  and  hung  but  did 
not  sell,  and  when  returned  he  comments  thus : 

*'It  is  something  for  me  to  be  admitted  even  to 
the  exhibition,  considering  the  gantlet  to  run  of 
some  20  ^'judges  of  selection,"  and  the  hope  of  a 
sale  is  perhaps,  all  things  considered,  a  crazy  one 
and  I  am  a  deluded  prehistoric  fossil  to  indulge  in 
it  for  a  moment.  By  this  time  I  ought  fully  to  un- 
derstand, taught  by  experience,  that  the  Lord  wants 


198  A  VISION  REALIZED 

me  to  count  myself  outside  the  world-crowd  of 
artists,  both  by  aim  and  practice,  and  commissioned 
to  do  a  work  apart  and  which  can  not  be  mixed 
up  with  the  prevailing  popular  styles  of  thought, 
subjects,  or  execution. 

**The  naked  vixen  in  the  Corcoran  Gallery  that 
gave  such  offense  is  a  common  type  of  the  art  that 
now  has  an  applauding  public,  and  I  can  not  be 
wrong  in  believing  that  with  the  evident  decline  and 
degeneration  in  religion  and  morals  the  art  also 
must  go  down,  and  become  more  trivial,  showy,  and 
given  wholly  to  externals.  What  the  current  peri- 
odicals show  is  on  the  whole  a  just  exponent  of  what 
the  galleries  contain." 

On  February  10  he  writes  that  the  picture  is 
finished,  and  goes  on  to  say:  ^* Probably  I  have 
made  a  good  picture.  I  think  so  myself,  now.  'It 
is  the  Lord's  doing  and  it  is  marvelous  in  our  eyes.' 
That  is  the  inside  of  it.  Without  He  supplying  my 
well,  I  could  never  have  pumped  out  of  it  such  a 
stream  of  clear  water,  considering  the  desert  of  my 
surroundings.    Where  else  did  it  all  come  from?" 

The  painting  of  this  picture  seemed  to  tax  him 
greatly.  For  the  first  two  he  had  much  more  prep- 
aration and  had  already  made  cartoons  of  the  sub- 
jects carefully  worked  out;  for  this  he  had  only  a 
few  sketches.  When  at  last  it  was  done  he  shows 
his  state  of  mind  and  the  strain  of  the  work,  espe- 
cially under  such  conditions  as  he  imposed  on 
himself. 

**I  am  tired,"  he  writes,  ''of  the  howling  out- 
side and  shaking  of  windows.  I  am  tired  of  the  cold 
and  snow.    I  am  tired  of  darning  stockings  and 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      199 

mending  trousers.  I  am  tired  of  cooking  meals, 
concocting  unheard  of  dishes,  washing  pots,  think- 
ing about  victuals,  running  to  market,  and  specu- 
lating on  the  next  programme.  I  am  tired  of  bolt- 
ing eatables  in  *  solitary  confinement.'  I  am  tired  of 
stove  shaking  and  ash  dumping  and  fussing  with 
separating  cinders.  I  am  tired  of  being  day  and 
night  and  all  the  time  between  in  a  lonely  hole 
amidst  the  same  things  gaping  at  me.  I  am  tired  of 
that  big  canvas  and  wish  it  were  over  the  hills  and 
far  away.  I  am  tired  of  being  compelled  to  stare 
at  it  and  pick  out  flaws.  I  am  tired  of  the  very  idea 
of  having  by  myself  to  pack  interminable  trash  and 
useless  rubbish  and  dearly  pay  for  its  removal.  I 
am  tired  of  this  bachelor  imprisonment  and  all  its 
cheerless  accompaniments,  tired  of  this  banish- 
ment, and  many  things  more.  There !  That's  a  list 
of  some  of  my  grievances !  If  it  is  not  enough,  I 
can  pile  on  indefinitely ;  but  by  this  time,  I  am  sure, 
your  pity  is  sufficiently  excited.  Any  human  soul 
would  have  compassion  on  me. 

^^Now  the  big  canvas  finished,  I  have  nothing  to 
absorb  my  surplus  energy  and  so  must  growl,  at 
least  for  the  present. 

' '  Some  days  will  have  to  go  by  before  I  can  settle 
down  to  some  other  regular  work.  The  carthorse 
habit,  I  have  to  confess,  is  in  my  bones,  too,  perhaps 
the  more  so  as  years  increase ;  for  old  things  and  old 
people  get  knotty  and  gnarled  and  more  difficult  to 
move,  and  the  arrival  at  every  successive  station 
exhibits  more  the  desire  to  stop  just  there.  Plod- 
ding like  a  plow  ox  is  now  more  to  my  liking  than 
romping  like  a  pup. " 


200  A  VISION  REALIZED 

But  the  ^'carthorse  habit"  was  too  strong  to 
allow  him  to  flag.  In  a  few  days  he  went  to  work 
making  a  frame  for  the  picture  so  it  could  be  ex- 
hibited in  Washington,  where  it  was  placed  (Mar. 
8)  for  a  short  time  in  St.  John's  Hall,  going  from 
there  direct  to  Sewanee. 

March  18,  1900,  the  last  move  of  his  life  was 
made,  and  at  '*Owls  Eoost"  he  settled  down  to 
spend  his  remaining  years  and  finish  his  work  in  the 
new  studio  then  being  built  near  the  house. 

The  principal  paintings  of  this  year,  after  the 
large  one  was  completed,  were,  ^'Man"  in  his  record 
described  as  ^^a  nude  male  figure,  sitting  on  a  bit  of 
cloud  within  a  large  circle  of  nightly  sky,  with 
stars,  comet,  and  a  new  moon,  wonder  stricken. 
Painted  for  myself  as  an  expression  of  the  mystery 
of  being."  It  is  a  remarkable  picture.  Man,  alone 
in  the  great  universe,  naught  to  show  from  whence 
he  came  or  whither  he  is  going,  supported  only  by 
the  bit  of  cloud  and  naked.  Is  not  this  the  position 
we  all  occupy'?  ^^ Easter  Morning,"  the  Lord  step- 
ping forth  from  the  tomb.  This  was  a  life-size 
figure  on  canvas  4  feet  9  inches  by  9  feet.  It  was 
painted  for  St.  Stephen's  Memorial  Church,  St. 
Louis,  Mo. 

Under  these  conditions  opened  the  year  1901. 
After  a  life  of  wandering  at  last,  in  his  78th  year, 
he  had  a  home.  He  could  now  look  with  compla- 
cency upon  the  years  of  toil  and  trial;  he  had 
climlDed  the  height,  and  from  the  summit  looked 
down  on  the  devious  and  rugged  path  by  which  he 
had  ascended  with  a  calm  and  satisfied  mind.  Over 
all  this  he  had  been  led  as  in  climbing  a  great  moun- 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.     201 

tain,  from  crag  to  crag,  up  dizzy  heights,  over 
foaming  torrents,  often  well-nigh  spent,  but  with 
eyes  ever  on  the  shining  summit  and  trusting  in  his 
Master  to  help  and  support  from  day  to  day  and 
year  to  year. 

Three  of  the  great  works  were  completed;  he 
was  free  to  go  on  with  the  last.  Why  should  he  not 
say  *^  All  is  well,  the  spirit  of  divine  wisdom  through 
whom  came  the  thought  of  these  works  and  who  has 
graciously  helped  me  in  the  expression  knew  how 
to  frame  what  would  appeal  to  the  greatest  number 
at  least  of  sincere  persons  in  perfect  conformity  to 
scriptural  truth.  Myself  had  very  little  to  do  with 
the  process  except  as  an  instrument. " 

Early  in  this  year  he  painted  a  large  canvas, 
4  feet  6  inches  by  8  feet  3  inches  of  '^Christ  Knock- 
ing at  the  Door  of  the  Twentieth  Century."  Eev. 
Ill,  20.  This  was  also  presented  to  the  University 
of  the  South. 

His  belief  that  the  end  of  the  dispensation  was 
approaching,  that  the  ^4ast  times  were  at  hand" 
when  the  great  battle  of  Armageddon  would  be 
fought,  shows  itself  again,  as  in  ^^Charlemagne," 
by  the  painting  of  ^^Barbarossa"  from  the  well- 
known  legend  that  in  the  center  of  the  Plain  of 
Sennheim  (or  Cernay)  beneath  a  great  rock  called 
the  ^'Biblestein"  sleeps  Frederick  Barbarossa  who 
bore  the  title  of  the  Duke  of  Alsace.  He  is  shown 
sleeping  with  his  knights  around  him,  his  flaming 
beard  grown  through  the  table  on  which  he  leans, 
^^  awaiting  the  hour  of  destiny,  when  he  will  arise 
and  lead  the  armies  of  the  empire  to  victory." 

On  April  16  he  sketched  the  canvas  for  the  last 


202  A  VISION  REALIZED 

of  the  '^Series"  and  for  the  remainder  of  the  year 
most  of  his  time  was  given  to  that.  Mr.  Hyde  was 
very  enthusiastic  over  the  ^^ Series,"  and  suggested 
that  they  should  all  be  exhibited  together.  Mr. 
Oertel  did  not  look  with  favor  on  the  scheme,  but 
consented  that  Mr.  Hyde  should  request  the  loan 
of  those  already  at  Sewanee,  provided  he  did  so  on 
his  own  responsibility. 

Mrs.  Oertel  writes:  ^^You  do  not  apprehend  the 
condition  of  his  mind  in  regard  to  them.  They  have 
been  made  a  gift  to  the  Lord,  not  to  Sewanee ;  and 
to  try  to  use  them  to  make  money  would  be  to  him 
a  sacrilege."  How^ever,  the  trustees  of  the  Uni- 
versity were  not  willing  to  loan  the  pictures,  so  that 
ended  the  matter  greatly  to  his  satisfaction. 

The  last  of  the  ^^ Series"  was  finished  early  in 
the  year.  Much  to  his  delight  ^^ Edward"  came 
down  from  Boston  to  see  it  and  him  and  remained 
about  a  week.  This  visit  was  the  greatest  pleasure 
that  could  have  been  given  him ;  days  they  spent  in 
the  studio  together,  these  two— Master  and  pupil— 
who  had  clung  to  each  other  through  the  long  years. 

On  June  2,  1902,  after  his  return,  Mrs.  Oertel 
wrote  him : 

^*I  want  you  to  know  that  the  great  work  is  ac- 
complished! The  last  canvas  was  shipped  on 
Saturday  last.  May  31,  and  the  50  years  agony  is 
over.  Laus  Deo !  Such  a  long  time,  and  how  dis- 
couraging it  would  have  been  to  look  forward  to 
if  it  could  have  been  foreseen. 

*^What  a  blessing  it  is  that  the  impenetrable 
veil  hangs  over  our  future,  and  how  evident  the 
reason  of  the  delay.   Even  20  years  ago  he  could  not 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      203 

have  made  the  works  what  they  are  now.  Will  it 
not  be  that  way  when  we  look  back  from  the  battle- 
ments of  the  New  Jerusalem,  will  we  not  see  in  so 
many  instances  why  our  ways  were  overruled  as 
they  were,  and  we  were  not  permitted  to  walk  in 
the  paths  we  fain  would  have  chosen  for  our  feet"?" 

After  the  big  picture  was  sent  to  Sewanee  he 
took  no  rest  but  continued  with  other  designs,  pro- 
ducing in  succession  several  important  works,  a 
^^Rock  of  Ages"  which  was  presented  to  Mrs.  Kate 
B.  Cannon,  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  ^^The  Wandering 
Jew,"  and  ^^The  Vision  of  Canaan." 

^^The  Wandering  Jew"  is  an  independent  in- 
terpretation of  the  legend.  The  despised  Jew  has 
wandered  restless  for  nearly  2,000  years.  The  sun 
of  the  Dispensation  is  nearly  setting.  The  ruins  of 
the  centuries  are  about  him  and  the  sinking  sun 
casts  his  shadow  ahead  of  him  in  Cross  form.  The 
painting  expressed  the  artist's  belief  that  the  day 
of  the  present  Dispensation  is  very  near  its  close, 
and  the  Jew  divinely  recognizes  the  time  has  come 
to  wend  his  steps  back  to  the  land  of  his  fathers, 
seeking  rest  and  perchance  to  revive  his  national- 
ity. Of  the  truths  bringing  on  the  movement  he  is 
as  yet  prof  oimdly  ignorant,  but  a  mysterious  spirit 
impels  him  as  the  time  draws  rapidly  near  when 
ancient  prophecies  must  be  fulfilled. 

**The  Vision  of  Canaan"  represented  Moses 
where  he  is  shown  the  promised  land  that  he  may 
not  enter.  It  is  a  typical  scene  of  wide  meaning,  of 
the  old  and  the  new  covenant,  the  covenants  of  law 
and  of  grace,  of  the  land  this  side  of  the  mystical 
Jordan  and  the  wider  land  that  stretches  beyond. 


204  A  VISION  REALIZED 

We  all  occupy  a  situation  like  that.  We  look,  by 
sublime  faith,  beyond  the  dividing  Jordan  flood  to 
our  promised  land.  It  is  the  gracious  Lord  Himself 
shows  us  the  way. 

This  was  also  presented  to  the  University  of  the 
South. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

On  May  30  the  vice  chancellor  of  the  University 
wrote  asking  him  to  come  to  Sewanee  and  lecture  on 
the  *^ Series"  and  art.  Accordingly,  about  the 
middle  of  June,  he  went.  Those  who  have  followed 
in  this  narrative  his  struggles  to  attain  the  end  now 
reached  can  perhaps  to  some  degree  appreciate  his 
feelings  as  he  came  before  the  assembly  in  Sewanee 
to  tell  them  of  his  works,  at  last  completed. 

Of  this  he  writes  his  wife : 

^^My  Dear  Wife  :  It  seems  months  since  I  left 
home— the  more  so  because  I  have  heard  nothing 
from  you— and  yet  the  time  is  only  one  week. 

''My  usually  quiet,  uneventful  life  makes  such 
a  change  appear  like  a  revolution.  Many  faces  turn 
up  that  seemed  forgotten  and  wiped  out  with  our 
memory  of  them,  and  it  seems  truly  strange  to  have 
been  remembered  by  them,  so  many  years  having 
passed  since  our  living  on  the  mountain. 

''Of  course  that  which  touches  me  is  of  first  in- 
terest, and  the  great  event,  speaking  on  my  pictures 
is  happily  over.  A  marked  success  it  proved. 
There  was  a  crowd  in  the  hall,  and  the  board  of 
trustees  adjourned  their  meeting  in  order  to  be 
present.  Certainly  I  never  before  had  so  distin- 
guished an  interested  audience,  nor  was  so  warmly 
and  cordially  received.     It  was  evident  that  my 


206  A  VISION  REALIZED 

labors  were  not  without  fruit,  and  I  thank  the  Lord 
for  the  fruit  of  my  toil.  Bishop  Gailor,  in  his 
happy  manner,  introduced  me,  and  after  conclud- 
ing my  address,  which  was  without  reference  to  my 
notes  except  the  concluding  sentences,  the  Bishop 
of  Georgia  made  a  call  for  a  vote  of  thanks  which 
brought  all  to  their  feet,  and  the  Bishop  of  Florida 
concluded.  Since  then  Dr.  Du  Bose  and  many 
others  have  spoken  to  me.  But  even  this  is  not  to 
be  the  end.  Many  desire  more  information,  among 
them  the  divinity  students,  so  there  is  promise  that 
I  have  not  labored  in  vain.  It  is  certainly  true  that 
on  the  great  world-public  by  my  labors  I  have  made 
very  ephemeral  impression,  and  they  have  prac- 
tically ignored  my  doings  and  left  me  in  poverty 
and  alone.  I  care  not  for  it.  But  here  is  a  prospect 
of  usefulness,  for  it,  not  fame,  I  have  coveted,  nor 
the  gold  that  perisheth. 

^^  Bishop  Gailor  also  in  his  address  said  I  had 
brought  art  to  the  mountain  and  educated  a  race  of 
carvers  in  wood.  You  see  the  seed  is  not  sown  in 
vain." 

June  29,  1902,  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity 
was  formally  conferred  on  him  by  the  Bishop  of 
Alabama,  and  he  writes : 

^^So  the  august  ceremony  has  confirmed  the 
honorary  proclamation  of  three  years  ago,  and  so  I 
am  a  full-fledged  D.D.  Wonderful !  What  would 
now  my  little  mother  say  who  always  regarded  me 
as  such  an  extraordinary  specimen  under  any  cir- 
cumstances 1^  What  if  she  and  father  and  brother 
Fritz  looked  on  unseen !    Who  knows  ? 

^^Well,   perhaps   there  is  more   and   sounder 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      207 

theology  in  my  pictures  and  some  of  my  old  lectures 
than  even  is  known  or  recognized  by  the  authority 
that  conferred  the  degree." 

And  to  this  Mrs.  Oertel  replied  July  2 : 

*'So  you  have  come  about  to  the  climax  of  your 
career,  the  ^ Great  Series'  done  and  given  away,  and 
yourself  invested  with  the  hood  of  a  Doctor  of 
Divinity.  Yes ;  what  would  Grossmutter  say  ?  But 
more,  what  would  Fritz  say'?  (His  brother  Fritz 
was  also  a  clergyman  of  the  Church.)  Well,  it  is 
not  every  man  that  struggles  who  is  permitted  to 
see  the  fruit  of  it  all  to  such  an  extent,  so  we  will 
be  thankful.  The  way  has  been  long  and  stony 
enough,  and  the  top  of  the  hill  seemed  unattainable 
—but  you  got  there. ' ' 

It  is  quite  certain  these  last  words  were  not 
intended  as  slang,  as  probably  she  had  never  heard 
them  so  used. 

July  7  he  lectured  on  the  ^^  Revelation  of  the 
Beautiful"  in  the  hall  where  the  big  pictures  had 
been  hung.  *^ So  that  now  the  series  are  together," 
he  says,  ^^and  I  also  can  see  the  accomplished 
struggle  of  many  years  in  one  room.  It  really 
appears  as  if  your  old  man,  in  the  evening  of  his 
days,  were  being  looked  upon  as  an  individual  of 
some  importance  and  might  be  useful  in  the  world, 
and  that  when  the  great  world  of  art  has  forgotten 
my  name  and  existence.    It  is  better  so." 

With  the  works  already  mentioned  the  rest  of 
this  year  was  consumed. 

An  immense  amount  of  work  was  done  during 
the  next  year,  although  considerably  broken  into 
by  the  serious  illness  of  his  wife.    First  came  ^^A 


208  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Glimpse  of  Glory,"  an  old  man  on  top  of  a  ladder, 
leaning  against  clouds,  eagerly  looking  over  to  see 
what  is  beyond.  He  says:  ^'I  call  it  ^Looking  in.' 
Various  are  the  ladders  set  for  us  by  God's  kind 
providence  during  our  time  of  training,  by  means 
of  which  we  may  get  a  glimpse  of  glory." 

Next  he  began  to  repair  ^^The  Final  Harvest," 
which  showed  the  effects  of  time  and  frequent 
moves,  but  after  working  on  it  for  some  days  con- 
cluded it  was  not  worth  it  and  discarded  it  entirely, 
stretched  a  fresh  canvas  and  repainted  it.  It  was 
made  the  same  size  as  the  original,  in  a  6-foot  circle, 
but  the  canvas  was  square  so  the  frame  could  be 
made  so,  as  the  original  had  been  in  a  circular 
frame,  which  was  found  to  be  a  great  disadvantage 
and  very  expensive. 

There  followed  ^^Mary  Magdalene  Embracing 
the  Foot  of  the  Cross,"  ^^The  Expulsion  from 
Eden,"  ^^ Noah's  Sacrifice  after  the  Flood,"  two 
figures  of  St.  Paul,  one  of  which  was  sent  the  Rev. 
E.  L.  Hyde  with  the  note,  ^^Keep  the  painting  in 
memory  of  your  old  friend  and  the  delightful  visit 
he  had  from  you. "  ''  The  Victor, ' '  a  design  treated 
as  statuary,  the  dead  warrior  carried  from  the  bat- 
tlefield upon  his  shield,  according  to  the  Spartan 
mother's  charge  to  her  son  when  giving  him  that 
defensive  arm,  ^^Come  with  it  or  upon  it,"  since 
the  greatest  disgrace  to  a  Spartan  was  to  cast  away, 
in  fleeing  from  the  enemy,  his  shield,  and  which  the 
apostle,  admonishing  the  Christian  warrior,  calls 
'Hhe  shield  of  faith." 

In  August  of  this  year  (1903)  he  again  visited 
Sewanee  remaining  about  five  weeks.    He  retouched 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      209 

the  big  paintings  and  assisted  in  taking  them  down 
to  be  photographed. 

He  delivered  six  lectures,  three  to  the  students 
and  three  to  the  general  public.  ^*To  the  theolo- 
gians were  given  what  is  instructive  in  the  symbol- 
ism of  the  Mosaic  Dispensation";  to  the  public, 
talks  were  on  "the  use  of  art,  the  paintings  in  the 
Roman  Catacombs,  and  Ary  Scheffer.'' 

As  the  time  for  his  return  drew  near  he  wrote 
his  wife :  ' '  Now  my  visit  is  ending  and  I  go  back  to 
hard  work,  to  -me  the  occupation  that  wears  best 
and  pays  most.  What  solace  there  is  in  the  persua- 
tion  that  our  work  of  whatever  kind  is,  by  devout 
intention,  a  God  service— be  it  acknowledged  and 
valued  by  men  or  neglected  and  forgotten.  We  can 
do  no  more  in  the  world  of  toil  and  tears  than  faith- 
fully sow  our  seed  and  let  the  Lord  of  Heaven,  of 
the  rain  and  the  sunshine,  take  care  of  it  against 
the  day  of  harvest." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

And  so  he  returned  to  his  studio  and  plunged 
into  work.  The  main  object  of  his  life  was  accom- 
plished, but  he  could  not  rest.  His  portfolios  were 
filled  with  designs  miade  in  former  years  but  never 
painted,  and  his  brain  continually  evolved  addi- 
tional subjects.  It  was  just  as  if  he  were  driven. 
Work,  work,  work  unceasingly,  grinding  out  pic- 
tures. It  was  a  general  family  joke  how  he  was 
filling  the  studio  with  them— and  they  could  not  be 
disposed  of  except  as  gifts. 

From  his  portfolios  came  timeworn  sketches  and 
designs,  and  they  were  rapidly  painted ;  from  the 
walls  of  house  and  studio  were  taken  pictures  to  be 
revised  and  worked  over  according  to  what  he 
considered  the  needs  of  each. 

^^The  time  has  come  with  me,^'  he  said,  "that 
instead  of  constantly  rolling  out  new  things,  many 
of  them  have  to  be  left  as  sketches  or  incomplete 
productions  to  give  accumulations  of  many  years 
more  adequate  expression,  so  that  in  case  they  can 
be  brought  together  they  form  as  it  were  by  a  cer- 
tain continuity  of  thought  a  harmonious  gallery. 
I  have  come  where  many  of  the  hesitancies  and 
timidities  or  ignorance  of  former  years  can  be 
corrected  and  a  good  subject  redeemed  from  inade- 
quate expression." 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      21 1 

Immediately  after  his  return  he  painted  another 
^^Eoek  of  Ages"  and  a  Crucifixion  ^^It  is  Fin- 
ished/' and  presented  them  to  St.  Mary's  House, 
Sewanee.  Then  ^^The  King  of  Truth,"  the  thorn- 
crowned  Christ  in  purple  robe,  seated. 

Besides  these  there  were  many  sketches  and 
studies. 

As  the  end  of  the  year  approached  it  seemed  to 
admonish  him  of  the  rapid  flight  of  time  and  his 
own  shortening  days  and  limit  for  action,  and  the 
pressure  and  speed  were  increased. 

In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Hyde  (Dec.  8),  after  enumer- 
ating the  various  works  produced  during  the  year, 
he  says :  ' '  There  seems  continually  in  my  mind  the 
resolution:  'I  must  work  while  it  is  day,^  How 
do  I  know  that  my  strength  or  life  will  last  very 
much  longer  ?  And,  having  only  a  limited  measure, 
solemn  duty  requires  that  I  crowd  it  with  work  to 
the  utmost.  My  big  room  is  comfortable.  You  will 
not  have  to  be  informed,  by  an  obituary  in  the 
papers,  that  an  old  artist  with  sluggish  circulation 
and  more  persistency  than  prudence  was  found  one 
cold  day  frozen  to  an  icicle  in  his  too  large  studio. 

^*0n  the  contrary,  that  same  persistent  individ- 
ual proposes  and  expects  to  do  a  huge  amount  of 
work  during  the  winter  months  and  in  spite  of  the 
shortened  daylight." 

It  may  seem  strange  to  the  reader  that  little  is 
given  in  this  narrative  except  the  ^^work"  done, 
but  what  else  could  be  told  of  one  whose  life  was 
spent  in  toil?  Friends  he  had  and  visited,  and  a 
few  came  to  his  studio,  but  in  these  days,  except  to 
a  very  few,  he  seemed  to  grudge  the  time  consumed. 


212  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Some  little  recreation  and  exercise  lie  allowed  him- 
self, and  persisted  in  riding  Ms  **  wheel"  in  spite  of 
former  mishaps  and  repeated  warnings. 

He  came  to  his  meals  after  the  bell  had  been 
rmig  several  times  and  he  had  also  been  sent  for 
and  told  the  bell  had  been  rung,  and  after  the  meal 
was  over  it  was  always  the  same  ^'Well,  I  must  get 
back  to  my  work."  He  read  much,  but  his  mind 
ran  in  a  rut.  He  saw  in  the  doings  of  the  world 
only  signs  of  the  approaching  ^'end  of  the  Dispen- 
sation," and  became  almost  morbid  on  the  subject. 
It  seemed  to  him  that  prophecy  was  rapidly  being 
fulfilled,  and  in  his  reading  of  current  literature  he 
searched  out  only  such  things  as  pertained  to  that 
subject. 

The  last  work  made  in  1903  was  a  duplicate  of 
^^The  Holy  Grail." 

What  was  done  with  this  painting  is  not  known. 
During  these  last  years  he  became  very  secretive 
and  often  when  he  disposed  of  a  painting,  i,  e,,  gave 
it  away,  he  would  say  nothing  about  it  even  to  his 
wife. 

The  first  thing  attempted  in  1904  was  the  paint- 
ing of  ^^The  Death  of  Saul,"  or  *^The  Judgment  of 
King  Saul,"  from  1  Samuel  31:  36.  This  was  an 
old  composition,  made  years  ago  in  pencil,  which 
work  he  describes  as  "a,  veritable  specimen  of 
laborious  exactness  and  rigid  classification  of  for- 
mer years."  This  is  31  by  53 J  inches  in  size  and 
painted  in  four  tints  only,  from  reddish  brown  to 
ivory  black,  and  giving  the  impression  of  a  mono- 
chrome. 

Then  from  his  easel  came  in  rapid  succession 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      213 

'^Faithful  unto  Death,''  ^^His  First  Going  to  Jer- 
usalem," ^^Abel,  the  Proto  Martyr,"  *^ Supper  at 
Enunaus,"  and  numerous  landscape  and  animal 
pictures. 

To  Mr.  Hyde  he  writes.  May  1 : 

^'You  know  how  secluded  we  live,  and  myself 
more  than  my  family,  the  'Den'  in  which  my 
work  is  done  being  my  field  of  toil  and  conflict; 
a  kind  of  fate  impelling  me  to  work  on  while 
the  opportunity  is  given  and  do  my  very  best, 
never  at  rest  until  means  as  well  as  knowledge 
compel  a  halt. 

''With  that  spirit  driving  me  on,  you  need  not 
wonder  that  yesterday  I  have  again  been  at  the 
'Final  Harvest,'  taking  out  dimness  of  color  and 
shadows  and  introducing  more  light  and  clearness 
and  brilliancy  of  tint  as  it  becomes  a  subject  which 
reaches  forward  to  where  the  glory  of  eternity 
illumines.  In  consequence  the  picture  has,  since 
you  saw  it,  risen  miles  above  the  thick  atmosphere 
we  mortals  must  breathe,  and,  as  to  a  comparison 
with  the  old  canvas,  it  is  simply  a  smoke-begrimed 
affair  not  to  be  mentioned." 

One  of  the  landscapes,  "A  Storm-tossed  Vet- 
eran," is  worthy  of  mention.  A  most  picturesque 
old  chestnut  tree,  lighted  by  the  evening  sun,  behind 
it  a  storm  cloud  sinking  away,  and  a  piece  of  rain- 
bow ;  on  one  side  a  yellow  grain  field  with  the  grain 
shocked  upon  it,  in  the  foreground  a  large  limb 
freshly  torn  from  the  tree. 

On  July  5  the  following  formal  acknowledg- 
ment of  his  gifts  to  the  University  of  the  South 
were  received : 


214  A  VISION  REALIZED 

"University  of  the  South, 

"Sewanee,  Tenn.,  July  5, 190 J^. 
"Eev.  J.  A.  Oertel,  D.D., 
''Vienna,  Va. 
"Rev.  and  Dear  Sir  :   I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  to  you 
a  copy  of  a  resolution  passed  by  the  board  of  trustees  at  its 
recent  session: 

"  'Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  the  board  are  hereby  tendered 
to  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Oertel,  D.D.,  for  the  valuable  paintings  during 
the  past  year  presented  to  the  University,  placing  us  under 
renewed  obligations  to  our  venerable  friend  for  his  many  valuable 
gifts  to  the  University.^ 

"I  am,  dear  Doctor,  with  great  respect,  very  faithfully  yours, 

"Jas.  G.  Glass, 
''Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees/' 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  for  lack  of  space  more 
extracts  from  his  letters  can  not  be  given,  especially 
those  written  to  Mr.  Hyde,  to  whom  he  was  wont  to 
express  his  ideas  on  art  and  religious  subjects  more 
fully  than  to  anyone  else,  as,  for  instance,  when  he 
says: 

''Our  art  has  been  for  such  a  length  of  time  wild 
and  wayward  experiment,  the  chasing  after  the 
novel  and  strange,  that  solid  advance  on  lines  of 
truthfulness  has  been  impossible.  The  fever  con- 
dition can  only  be  followed  by  exhaustion.  The 
high-pressure  tension  cannot  be  kept  up  for  ever. 
It  will  wear  itself  out.  Art,  to  grow  and  improve, 
must  have  contemplative  repose. 

''In  this  matter  also  I  believe  the  point  of  crisis 
has  been  nearly  reached  and  experiment  has  ex- 
hausted itself.  To  my  judgment  magazine  illustra- 
tions are  a  fair  and  quite  infallible  proof  of  decline. 
Straws  show  which  way  the  wind  blows.'' 

The  last  work  finished  this  year  was  a  subject 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      215 

that  had  waited  over  30  years  for  him  to  have  the 
time  to  give  it  expression,  ''The  Church  Militant, '^ 
a  canvas  41  by  64  inches.  The  Israelites  on  the 
holy  war,  the  Conquest  of  Canaan,  Joshua  leading, 
priests  with  the  sacred  trumpets,  Judah  with  the 
banner,  insignia  the  lion  and  a  star,  Benjamin, 
Dan,  and  others.  The  Shekinah,  overhead,  the  light 
of  the  picture. 

Early  in  1905  he  presented  a  painting  to  ''Dr. 
Bernardo's  Homes,  National  Incorporated  Asso- 
ciation for  Eeclamation  of  Destitute  Waif  Chil- 
dren," London,  England,  but  neither  his  record 
nor  letters  from  the  secretary  of  the  association, 
acknowledging  its  receipt,  state  what  it  was. 

Then  came  "The  Seven  Sleepers  of  Ephesus." 
"This,"  he  says,  "is  painted  with  a  palette  of  great 
simplicity,  having  only  a  touch  of  yellow  in  it  in  one 
spot.  It  has  a  sleepy  light,  a  different  sentiment 
from  others  of  my  pictures,  for  why  should  not  the 
color  key  correspond  as  much  with  the  inherent 
character  of  a  painting  as  form,  action,  and  expres- 
sion?" 

In  the  evening  he  spent  much  time  in  carving 
and  made  two  lions  carved  in  oak  for  the  episcopal 
chair  of  Bishop  Leonard,  of  Ohio. 

Next  came  "Moses,  with  Aaron,"  invoking  the 
plagues  over  Egypt;  not  the  plague  of  darkness 
only,  as  in  the  monochrome  formerly  painted.  The 
background  was  changed  from  the  dark  sky  to  Pha- 
raoh's  palace  and  relieved  the  figures  dark  against 
the  light,  giving  increased  power  and  more  mystery 
and  suggestion.    Of  this  he  writes  Mr.  Hyde : 

"Another  added  to  the  many  unsalable  can- 


216  A  VISION  REALIZED 

vases?  Yes,  indeed;  well  I  know  it.  But  what 
can  a  mortal  do  against  Fate?  I  am  doomed— 
or  honored— to  paint  unsalable  pictures,  as  my 
namesake  (Simon)  was  to  preach  an  unpopular 
doctrine  of  repentance  to  ^Scribes  and  Pharasees' 
many  centuries  ago.  Not  only  so,  but  verily  there 
must  be  attached  a  secret  sign,  or  a  smell,  or  other 
warning,  to  my  pictures ;  that  a  believer,  a  '  Chris- 
tian dog'  has  painted  them,  lacking  the  prophesied 
^Mark  of  the  Beast'  (Rev.  13: 16-17),  and  so  they 
are  persistently  unsalable. 

''Yes,  you  know  your  old  friend  is  a  quite  head- 
strong heretic  with  the  world,  in  sharp  antagonism 
with  her  ways,  and,  what  is  more  altogether  uncon- 
trovertible, to  her  modes  of  though  and  action. 

''I  think  we  might  as  well  give  up  the  effort  to 
bring  his  pictures  into  market,  be  they  religious, 
landscape,  or  animal,  for  all  are  stamped  with  a 
seal  the  world  flatly  refuses  to  acknowledge  as  cur- 
rent in  her  dominion. 

''It  is  evident  that  my  work,  whatsoever  its 
merit,  is  prevented  from  a  display  in  the  great 
exhibits  of  the  world,  and  my  name  from  taking 
a  place  among  the  lauded  ones  and  honored  by 
success. 

"Let  us  drop  all  further  effort  in  that  direction. 
With  a  thousand  thanks  for  your  willing  kindness 
and  inquiry,  relinquish  further  attempts." 

The  above  was  written  after  an  offer  to  loan  the 
"Ezekiel"  to  the  National  Metropolitan  Museum 
in  New  York  had  been  refused. 

In  August  he  made  another  visit  to  Sewanee  to 
varnish  the  big  pictures,  and  then  returned  to  his 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      21 7 

studio,  revising  previous  works  and  going  on  wifh 
new  ones.  Among  those  revised  were  *^The  Twelve 
Apostles,"  each  on  separate  canvas,  destined  for  an 
altar  piece  for  the  chapel  of  the  theological  depart- 
ment at  Sewanee,  the  center  being  a  crucifixion 
with  the  words  underneath— ''We  preach  Christ 
crucified,  to  the  Jews  a  stumbling  block  and  to  the 
Greeks  foolishness,  but  to  them  that  are  called,  both 
Jews  and  Greeks,  Christ  the  power  of  God,  and  the 
wisdom  of  God."  ''This,"  he  says,  "is  a  constant 
admonition  to  the  students  who  worship  there  what 
is  the  purpose  of  their  future  calling." 

Pictures  were  now  piled  all  about  him  and 
stacked  in  rows  against  his  walls,  and  yet  he  worked 
on.  At  times  the  humorous  side  of  this  struck  him 
and  he  would  joke  about  it.  One  of  his  letters  to 
Mrs.  Oertel  at  this  time  is  written  on  a  sheet  of 
paper  headed  "Treasury  Department,"  and  he 
adds  "of  pictures,  Vienna,  Va.,"  and  then  he 
says:  "The  above  is  a  description  of  a  rightful 
title,  or  a  fiattery,  according  to  one's  personal 
view  of  the  place  from  whence  this  is  written 
(his  studio). 

"If  money  alone  is  treasure,  or  jewels,  or  other 
goods  valued  for  their  money's  worth,  then  this 
poor  room  of  mine  has  a  low  money  standard 
indeed.  However,  if  my  canvases  were  valued  like 
that  of  Chase's  dead  codfish,  then  I  added  only 
yesterday  about  $400  worth  to  my  collection  by  the 
painting  of  a  bunch  of  grapes.  In  the  twilight  last 
evening  the  painting  could  not  be  distinguished 
from  the  model  alongside." 

November  3  he  reached  his  eighty-third  year, 


218  A  VISION  REALIZED 

but  with  health  and  vigor  he  kept  steadily  on.  On 
this  day  he  said : 

^'Another  birthday!  and  a  most  memorable  one. 
Is  it  on  a  down-grade,  as  the  world  thinks ;  or  an 
up-grade,  toward  the  golden  portal  of  life  ever- 
lasting ? 

^'Why  not  rather  take  the  quick-fleeting  years 
in  the  latter  sense?" 

In  December  he  was  called  to  Bel  Air,  Md.,  to  see 
about  an  altar,  reredos,  and  credence  table  desired 
by  the  people  of  Emmanuel  Church  to  harmonize 
with  the  pulpit  and  lectern  he  made  for  that  church 
while  living  there. 

For  the  sake  of  serving  the  Church  his  resolu- 
tion to  do  no  more  mechanical  work  and  elaborate 
carving  was  broken.  He  never  cared  to  do  that 
kind  of  work,  as  it  consumed  so  much  time,  and 
less  thought  could  be  expressed  than  on  canvas. 
He  was  asked  to  give  advice  and  make  designs  for 
the  work.  ^'AU  very  well  and  easy  for  me,  to  be 
sure,"  he  writes,  ^^but  who  that  is  competent  would 
carry  out  my  designs  for  less  than  a  mint  of  money, 
and  such  a  ^mint'  the  donors  do  not  have,  nor  would 
be  willing  to  spend.  What,  therefore,  remained? 
Why,  plainly  that  I  make  the  articles  myself." 

And  so  it  was  that  at  this  age  he  once  more 
plunged  into  the  laborious  task  of  constructing  and 
carving  in  wood. 

The  credence  table  was  first  undertaken.  On 
this  he  worked  from  early  morning  until  late  at 
night,  as  he  wrote,  **  cutting  or  knocking  chips  from 
solid  oak  in  the  fashioning  of  an  elaborate  credence 
table ;  grapes  and  wheat  grow  from  hard  wood  two 


CREDENCE  TABLE 

Emmanuel  Church,  Bel  Air.  Md. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.     219 

inches  thick,  in  many  places  cut  clean  through. 
Lamb  and  Geissler  furnish  no  such  carving,  except 
perhaps  for  a  mint  of  money.  But  then  'this  'ere 
child'  is  under  the  dominion  of  a  different  prin- 
ciple." This  table  is  an  elaborate  structure  some 
7  feet  high  and  2  wide,  of  oak  and  cherry,  deeply 
carved  and  all  put  together  by  his  own  hand. 

This  was  work  which  should  not  have  been  un- 
dertaken at  his  time  of  life  and  with  failing 
strength  and  sight,  but  no  work  was  ever  too 
arduous  for  him  to  undertake  if  he  deemed  it  right 
to  do  so,  and  once  undertaken  it  was  pushed  with  all 
the  energy  and  strength  of  his  nature. 

So  with  this,  he  was  ''up  and  at  it"  at  6  a.  m. 
and  far  into  the  night  could  be  heard  the  strokes  of 
his  mallet  as  he  "cut  away  what  should  not  be 
there." 

"Were  you  ever  a  slave  to  your  work^"  he 
asks.  "It  is  now  my  experience.  This  mechanic 
labor  can  not  be  done  but  by  steady  application, 
especially  in  the  hands  of  an  amateur,  for  I  am  no 
better.  It  is  strange  that  I  should  have  been  led  to 
undertake  so  much  of  it.  But  it  was  almost  exclu- 
sively for  churches.  All  I  have  now  to  do  has  come 
to  me  unsought,  therefore,  how  could  I  reject  it? 
Doing  God's  work  is  not  only  painting  religious 
pictures.  He  is  truly  served  by  anything  that  can 
in  good  conscience  be  done  in  His  name,  as  Luther 
has  it  when  he  speaks  of  a  pious  servant  girl  labo- 
riously scrubbing  the  floor.  Were  it  not  so,  small 
comfort  would  there  be  for  the  Christian  drudges 
the  world  over!" 

As  he  proceeded,  this  task  become  more  and 


220  A  VISION  REALIZED 

more  irksome.  He  longed  to  get  back  to  his  easel, 
and  during  the  first  months  of  1906  he  aged  per- 
ceptibly. It  was  impossible  to  make  him  talk  of 
anything  cheerful.  He  could  only  see  the  signs  of 
the  *^last  times"  and  the  terrible  consequences 
which  were  to  f  oUow. 

It  was  the  same  story  which  has  been  repeated 
with  every  piece  of  woodwork  he  had  ever  done, 
very  easy  to  make  the  elaborate  design,  but  the  work 
it  was  going  to  take  to  execute  it  not  considered.  In 
June  there  came  to  him  the  great  trouble  of  his  life ; 
the  one  who  had  stood  by  his  side  through  aU  the 
struggle  of  life  and  had  been  his  help,  his  comfort, 
his  adviser  and  critic,  who  had  encouraged  and 
cheered  where  the  way  was  darkest,  and  rejoiced 
with  him  when  success  crowned  his  efforts,  his  wife, 
was  stricken  with  what  from  the  first  was  known  to 
be  a  fatal  illness,  though  she  lingered  for  many 
months. 

This  blow  came  when  he  was  in  no  condition  to 
bear  it.  Physically  he  had  gone  down  under  the 
strain  of  carpentering  and  carving  10  and  12  hours 
daily  for  nearly  7  months,  yet  he  did  not  spare 
himself  but  kept  up  the  pace  set  until  the  work  was 
completed— the  last  of  July.  No  sooner  was  his 
room  clear  of  this  work  than  he  began  painting  on 
a  canvas  some  7  feet  in  length  by  3  feet  high,  '^The 
School  of  the  Prophets,"  the  design  and  color 
sketch  of  which  were  made  in  Florida.  This,  '^The 
Sun  of  Righteousness  Arising,"  *^  John  the  Baptist 
as  a  Young  Man  Watching,"  and  several  land- 
scapes were  completed  before  the  end  of  the  year. 

In  the  meanwhile,  November  8,  he  received  a 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      221 

letter  from  the  Eev.  Wyllys  Rede,  D.D.,  dean  of  the 
Cathedral  at  Quincy,  111.,  saying  that  it  was  in- 
tended to  place  therein  a  memorial  reredos  and  if 
possible  he  would  like  to  have  him  undertake  the 
work. 

He  replied  telling  of  the  7  months  of  laborious 
work  on  the  Bel  Air  reredos,  and  of  his  renewed 
resolve  not  to  do  any  more  of  the  kind,  being  now  in 
his  eighty-fourth  year.  ''But,"  he  says  ''here 
comes  your  letter.  Should  I  positively  declined' 
At  first  he  seriously  considered  accepting  the  work, 
but  was  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  no 
longer  able  to  accomplish  so  great  a  task. 

However,  in  his  reply  to  Dr.  Rede  he  suggested 
that  while  he  could  not  do  the  work  he  could  make 
the  design.  He  told  him  of  the  "Final  Harvest," 
which  would  make  a  suitable  center  piece,  and  sent 
a  rough  sketch  of  what  in  his  judgment  would  be 
suitable  as  framing.  This  design  included  plans 
for  the  other  paintings,  the  Christ  above  "The 
Final  Harvest,"  "the  representative  apostles  of 
Jew  and  Gentile  on  either  hand,"  all  to  be  life  size. 
"This,"  he  says,  "I  could  do,  insuring  to  the  whole 
absolute  unity  of  design  and  character." 

His  offer  as  to  compensation  for  all  this  was 
characteristic.  Of  the  sum  they  had  set  apart  they 
would  pay  for  the  woodwork  and  he  would  take 
what  was  left,  "not  for  my  own  but  for  my  chil- 
dren's sakes."  Thank  God  at  this  time  he  did  not 
need  it— but  he  must  still  give. 

Soon  after  his  eighty-fourth  birthday  he  began 
painting  "The  Burial  of  Moses."  This  repre- 
sented the  train  of  angels  coming  flying  through  a 


222  A  VISION  REALIZED 

defile  in  the  mountains,  Michael  leading  the  proces- 
sion—the body  of  Moses  supported  by  four  angels, 
our  Lord  holding  the  head— The  Law  buried  by  the 
Gospel.  This,  he  believed,  would  be  his  last  work. 
Ever  since  coming  to  this  country  certain  numbers 
had  ruled  and  reoccurred  with  unvarying  regular- 
ity, the  numbers  4  and  7  especially  so.  The  belief 
that  important  changes  would  occur  on  these 
periods  w^as  as  strong  in  his  mind  as  that  the  sim 
would  rise  and  set  at  the  proper  time.  '^  Three 
times  already,"  he  writes,  "a  period  of  7  years 
in  one  place  have  happened,  the  fourth  comes  to  the 
full  next  spring.  Seven  years  since  I  moved  from 
Bel  Air  and  began  work  in  this  room.  The  seven 
years  in  it  will  not,  it  is  my  belief,  be  exceeded; 
something  will  happen  to  fit  these  seven  years  to 
my  former  singular  experience.  What?  I  know 
not,  but  a  change  I  look  for. 

*^My  own  labors  in  carrying  out  God-given  ideas 
are  coming  to  a  close.  I  am  now  painting  ^^The 
Burial  of  Moses."  I  have  no  plans  beyond  that. 
Moreover,  my  health,  so  wonderfully  good  for  the 
last  20  years  is  giving  way,  and  no  medical  treat- 
ment has  effected  any  betterment.  Am  I  not  to 
conclude  that  my  days  on  earth  are  near  the  even- 
ing hour,  that  it  were  best  to  put  my  house  in  order, 
and  indeed  I  have  begun  doing  that." 

He  was  confident  that  the  mystic  seven  would 
not  be  broken,  nor  was  it,  though  the  ^^ change" 
was  not  what  he  expected.  He  was  buried  in  his 
work  and  his  mind  filled  only  with  it,  and  perhaps 
it  was  for  this  reason  he  could  not  see  the  change 
which  was  soon  to  come  and  which  others  could 


i^^iiiii 


infwfm 


REREDOS  IN  THE  CATHEDRAL,  QUINCY,  ILL. 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      223 

see  was  impending.  Mrs.  Oertel  was  slowly 
sinking;  bright  and  cheerful  on  her  bed  of  pain, 
she  was  still  the  light  and  life  of  the  house  as 
she  had  ever  been.  Her  mind  was  still  bright 
and  active,  a  marvel  to  all  who  saw  her;  but  it 
was  only  too  evident  to  every  one  but  him— 
that  the  end  must  come  soon. 

The  design  for  the  reredos  at  Quincy  and  the 
*^ Final  Harvest"  were  sent  on  late  in  December 
(1906)  and  on  January  3, 1907,  Dr.  Rede  wrote  him 
to  proceed  with  the  other  three  paintings. 

This  seemed  to  rouse  him  from  the  morbid  con- 
dition of  mind  into  which  he  had  drifted ;  even  his 
physical  condition  improved,  and  he  began  to  work 
with  all  his  old  time  dash  and  vigor. 

The  central  (top)  picture  was  about  completed 
by  the  last  of  January.  ''It  was  not  an  easy  sub- 
ject to  treat  becomingly,"  he  says;  ''the  Saviour  on 
clouds  receiving  the  fruits  of  His  Redemption  from 
the  harvest  field,  the  Holy  Spirit  above  Him  in  the 
blaze  of  light  coming  from  the  Father,  invisible 
above,  but  suggested  strongly  as  a  Presence ;  while 
on  either  side  the  suppressed  light  is  filled  with  a 
multitude  of  adoring  angels." 

In  the  midst  of  this  work  came  the  looked  for 
' '  change ' '  of  the  seventh  year.  It  were  best  to  take 
his  own  words  to  describe  this,  and  its  effect  on  him. 
To  his  friend  "Edward"  he  wrote,  February 
13,1907: 

"First  of  all  may  I  not  have  your  forgiveness 
for  the  seeming  neglect  of  letting  you  know  at  once 
of  the  departure  to  heavenly  mansions  of  my  dear 
wife  on  Wednesday,  February  6,  at  10:30  a.  m. 


224  A  VISION  REALIZED 

She  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  cemetery  the  day  fol- 
lowing. 

^^You  know  she  had  been  ill  since  June  of  last 
year ;  *  *  *  it  was  a  case  of  final  wearing  out  and 
we  buried  a  veritable  skeleton.  Under  such  condi- 
tions how  could  we  be  anything  but  thankful  when 
at  last  came  the  release  ?  On  the  day  of  sepulture  I 
myself  was  so  ill  that  to  venture  out  of  the  house  to 
the  church  and  burial  I  dare  not,  so  they  carried  the 
body  to  its  resting  place  without  me.  *  *  *  Of  course 
the  face  of  nature  has  changed  for  me.  We  have 
been  companions  so  long.  Her  departure  seems 
imreal— difficult  to  take  home— and  I  have  had  to 
go  over  the  fact  so  often  in  answering  letters  of  con- 
dolence; the  story  was  stamped  deeper  with  each 
note. 

^^Tet  I  am  looking  at  the  bereavement  from  the 
upper,  the  skyward  side.  It  is  not  depressing  to 
me,  but  the  opposite.  The  will  of  my  Lord  and 
master  is  the  best.  I  understand  the  conditions  of 
human  life,  know  the  Christian's  promises,  believe 
in  the  eternal  God's  faithfulness.  What  more  is 
needed  for  perfect  consolation?  Not  the  dream  of 
a  doubt  is  there  ever  in  my  heart— and  therefore  I 
travel  on.  Only  a  short  piece  of  road  will  bring  us 
to  the  same  entrance  into  Paradise.  *  *  *  In  a 
strange  manner  I  feel  the  ground  from  under  me, 
as  it  were,  moving  away.  The  present  physical 
world  seems  shifting  and  changing  the  relation  of 
things,  and  the  spiritual  makes  up  the  real  sub- 
stance—a present  reality." 

Indeed  it  seemed  that  the  ^ Apiece  of  road"  would 
be  short    He  was  very  ill  on  the  day  of  the  f  imeral, 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.     225 

and  the  doctors  gave  no  hope  of  his  recovery,  be- 
lieving that  a  week  at  most  would  see  the  end. 
Instead  of  this  he  improved,  and  when  some  days 
later  his  son,  Dr.  T.  B.,  left  for  his  home  in  Augusta, 
Georgia,  he  went  with  him.  It  was  hoped  he  would 
remain  there  some  time  and  rest ;  but  he  could  not, 
would  not  rest.  The  fire  was  still  burning,  the  sun 
still  shone,  and,  while  it  was  yet  day,  he  must  work. 

The  life  in  Augusta  was  new  to  him ;  he  cared 
not  to  meet  strangers  or  to  make  friends.  He  had 
lived  so  long  in  the  seclusion  of  his  studio  in  the 
coimtry  with  his  works  around  him  that  it  had  be- 
come his  life,  a  part  of  himself.  He  must  return  to 
it  to  spend  his  remaining  days— work  in  it  so  long 
as  strength  permitted  and  die  in  harness. 

He  would  not  even  wait  to  announce  his  coming 
by  letter;  no,  he  must  go  at  once,  and  go  he  did, 
sending  a  telegram  saying  only  *'I  have  left  Au- 
gusta; home  to-morrow." 

When  he  returned  his  condition  was  such  that 
it  did  not  seem  possible  for  him  to  do  any  work,  but 
he  went  at  once  to  his  studio  and  was  soon  hard  at 
it  again,  and  began  at  the  same  time  to  improve  in 
health  and  spirits.  He  could  even  joke— as  in  writ- 
ing of  the  sale  of  an  animal  picture  he  said:  ^^He 
carried  away  a  pair  of  Devon  steers,  giving  me  only 
a  piece  of  paper  with  his  name  signed.  I  was  will- 
ing to  make  the  exchange,  for  that  kind  of  oxen  may 
some  day  come  back  to  me  on  another  canvas  when 
the  price  of  beef  goes  up/' 

The  pictures  for  the  Quincy  Cathedral  were 
finished,  ^^ Christ  in  Glory,"  4  by  6  feet,  the  central 
piece  for  the  top  of  the  reredos,  and  ^^St.  John  the 


^26  A  VISION  REALIZED 

Evangelist''  and  ^^Mary  the  Virgin,"  each  2  by  7 
feet  for  the  side  panels. 

After  this  he  contented  himself  with  painting 
small  figure  pieces,  landscapes,  and  animals  of 
which  some  25  or  30  were  made  by  midsummer. 
The  only  important  works  produced  during  the  rest 
of  the  year  were  two  figures  on  separate  canvases 
18  inches  by  3i  feet  6  inches  of  ^^The  Saints  John." 
These  w^ere  painted  for  his  son,  to  be  presented  to 
the  Grand  Lodge  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  of  Virginia,  and 
they  now  hang  in  the  Temple  at  Eichmond. 

The  family  now  was  scattered,  only  himself  and 
son  Fred  remaining  at  ^^The  Roost,"  and  as  his  son 
was  absent  all  day  at  business  his  time  was  spent 
alone  in  his  room  painting,  reading,  and  writing. 
The  idea  that  the  ^4ast  times"  were  rapidly  ap- 
proaching was  uppermost  in  his  mind  and  in  every 
letter— in  fact  every  conversation— it  was  the 
theme. 

To  what  it  may  point  is  of  course  a  matter  of 
opinion,  but  certainly  he  saw  clearly  the  general 
demoralization  of  the  world  and  society.  '*  When  I 
glance  over  the  newspapers  from  day  to  day,"  he 
writes,  '4t  does  appear  to  me  that  the  condition  of 
mankind  is  rushing  up  with  positive  madness  to  the 
climax  point  of  moral  corruption  and  absolute  god- 
lessness,  page  upon  page  being  filled  with  accounts 
the  very  names  of  which  leave  a  smirch  upon  the 
unwilling  soul. 

*^How  can  a  race  handling  such  literature  re- 
main pure  and  in  unsullied  godly  frame?  Moral 
corruption  receives  such  constant  food.  To  me  no 
stronger  argument  is  needed  to  prove  we  are  com- 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.      227 

ing  to  the  final  ^dumping  point'."  What  would  he 
say  to-day,  and  what  have  been  the  effects  of  this 
literature  upon  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  American 
public  ?    Was  he  not  right  ^ 

Repeatedly  he  said  he  would  never  again  under- 
take any  large  work,  but  as  spring  came  on  (1908) 
he  repainted  ''It  is  Finished"  and  later,  when  a  call 
came  from  a  church  for  several  large  canvases  he 
undertook  the  work  and  went  at  it  as  he  might  have 
done  20  years  before.  These  were  for  a  church  in 
Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa,  ''Christ  and  Moses,"  the  law- 
giver of  the  new  and  old  dispensations. 

They  were  over  life  size  and  much  of  them  had 
to  be  painted  while  standing  on  a  ladder.  They 
were  painted  in  24  days  and  when  his  son  expressed 
surprise  at  the  progress  from  day  to  day  he  said : 
"I  ought  to  be  able  to  work  fast  after  over  70  years 
of  experience."  No  place  seemed  to  be  touched 
twice.  Every  brush  full  of  paint  went  on  where  it 
should  be  the  first  time,  and  the  work  grew  while 
one  gazed.  It  was  the  hand  and  brain  of  the  Mas- 
ter. In  a  letter  written  for  the  Providence,  R.  I., 
library  early  in  1909,  his  son  said : 

"Since  the  completion  of  these  works  he  has  not 
attempted  anything  of  special  note,  and,  by  reason 
of  failing  strength,  perhaps  never  will,  but  the  un- 
failing courage  and  tenacity  of  purpose  have  won 
and  though  the  years  of  youth  and  manhood  were 
passed  without  the  accomplishment  of  his  'life 
work,'  it  was  at  last  done,  and  the  message  he 
wished  to  leave  the  world  is  before  it.  Now  he  lives 
among  his  many  paintings  and  studies  which  crowd 
his  large  studio— satisfied— and  only  waiting  for 


228  ,  A  VISION  REALIZED 

the  call,  and  to  hear  the  'Well  done,  thou  good  and 
faithful  servant;  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy 
LordM" 

''Few  indeed  there  are  who  could  say  as  he  did, 
'I  have  accomplished  all  I  had  planned  to  do.'  The 
amount  he  did  do  was  prodigious,  and  it  is  almost 
unbelievable  that  one  man  could  have  accomplished 
so  much.  Only  the  more  important  works  have 
here  been  mentioned,  not  including  the  hundreds 
of  animal,  landscape,  still  life,  portraits,  and 
marines  or  steel  engravings  and  drawings  on 
wood  which  at  various  periods  consumed  much  of 
his  time." 

His  record  of  works  produced  during  the  years 
1854  to  1909  (nine  years  no  record  kept)  shows  a 
total  for  the  46  years  of  1,183  major  works. 

He  worked  in  all  branches  of  his  profession, 
steel  engraving,  drawing,  modeling,  carving  in 
wood,  and  painting  in  oil  and  water  color,  and  in 
each  executing  with  equal  facility  landscapes,  ani- 
mals, figures,  marine,  and  still  life.  "But,''  as  he 
said,  "why  not?"  If  the  knowledge,  and  ability  to 
execute  one  form,  why  not  others  ? 

As  to  his  landscapes,  Halsey  C.  Ives,  standing 
before  one  of  them  in  the  Nashville  studio,  said: 
"If  George  Innes  had  painted  that  it  would  be  one 
of  his  best."  In  animal  painting  his  work  was 
often  classed  with  that  of  Eosa  Bonheur  and 
Landseer;  his  figure  pieces,  both  as  to  composi- 
tion and  form  have  few  equals;  in  his  marine 
paintings,  of  which  he  made  less  than  of  any 
other  class,  note  the  power  and  beauty  of  "After 
the   Struggle,  Peace,"  and  in  still  life  is  to  be 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL.  D.D.     229 

seen  a  close  attention  to  detail  and  most  deli- 
cate handling  of  color. 

In  a  letter  to  the  Sunday  Post  in  1884  Charles 
Lanman  wrote: 

"It  is  now  about  20  years  since  I  expressed  the  opinion  that, 
in  the  higher  characteristics  of  art,  Mr.  Oertel  was  without  a 
peer  in  the  United  States,  and  that  opinion  remains  unchanged. 
It  was  founded  on  his  rare  abilities  as  a  draftsman;  his  con- 
summate knowledge  of  the  human  form ;  his  powers  of  grouping 
figures  in  large  numbers  and  thereby  depicting  ideal  scenes 
teeming  with  thought  and  instruction,  and  his  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  color. 

"His  skill  in  portraiture  is  also  unusual;  and  his  gifts  as  a 
painter  of  animals  are  simply  marvelous.  It  has  seemed  to 
me,  indeed,  while  looking  through  his  portfolios,  that  there  was 
no  end  to  the  variety  of  his  studies,  all  of  them  teeming  with 
beautiful  thoughts  and  always  betokening  a  most  lofty  purpose. 

"Charles  Lanman." 

Sunday  Post,  1884,  Washington,  D.  C. 

This  *' knowledge  of  the  human  form/'  it  may 
be  said  all  form,  was  truly  remarkable.  In  the 
execution  of  all  his  complicated  figure  pieces  he 
never  used  a  ^' model.''  Once  in  a  while  he  would 
call  his  wife  or  one  of  the  children  into  the  studio 
and  pose  them  for  a  short  time  and,  as  he  said,  the 
glass  often  served  him ;  but  save  for  this,  models  he 
had  none,  nor  needed  them.  In  carving  as  well  as 
painting  he  needed  no  copy ;  grapes,  wheat,  flowers, 
foliage  and  even  figures  cut  in  the  round,  came  into 
being  with  no  guide  whatever  save  perhaps  a  few 
charcoal  scrawls  when  first  cutting  into  the  wood. 

He  was  a  terse  and  thoughtful  writer  and  an 
impressive  and  forceful  speaker.  His  lectures  and 
sermons    bear    evidence    of    careful    study    and 


230  A  VISION  REALIZED 

thorough  knowledge  of  his  subject.  His  language, 
spoken  or  written,  was  always  carefully  selected 
and  expressive. 

Although  playing  an  important  part  in  his  life 
his  work  as  a  clerg^^man  was  subordinate  to  his  art, 
or,  it  may  be  said,  a  part  of  it.  His  services  in  that 
capacity  were  so  far  as  possible  a  free  gift,  and 
would  have  been  entirely  so  but  for  the  stern  neces- 
sity of  making  a  living  for  self  and  family.  Even 
where  compensation  was  accepted  there  is  no  in- 
stance where  it  was  not  returned  tenfold  in  artistic 
work. 

In  his  book  ^'record  of  works  produced"  no 
special  one  is  mentioned  for  the  year  1909  although 
he  was  busy  for  the  first  eight  months ;  instead  is 
written : 

'^Some  of  my  previously  painted  pictures,  set 
aside  as  completed,  I  have  taken  up  again  to  work 
over  more  carefully,  correcting  and  strengthening 
many  parts,  so  that  the  pictures  become  practically 
new  ones  and  so  the  time  given  was  usefully  spent. 

^'But  the  confession  has  to  be  made,  now  in  my 
eighty-seventh  year  of  life,  I  do,  after  all,  not  work 
any  more  with  the  same  dispatch  as  in  the  earlier 
times.  There  is  more  deliberation,  less  hurry,  more 
critical  severity  than  in  former  times,  and  so  the 
works  show  no  decline  and  in  certain  respects  they 
are  more  deliberate.  Thanks  to  God  for  all  His 
help  to  the  old  man.  May  He  in  His  grace  receive 
my  humble  offering. " 

This  is  the  last  entry  made  in  the  book.  His 
work  was  done. 

He  saw  but  few  people  this  last  year,  and  did  not 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.      231 

go  out  at  all  except  on  Sunday  evenings,  which  he 
often  spent  with  Prof.  Edwin  Wiley  and  his  wife 
at  their  bungalow  near  by.  They  were  his  best 
friends,  knew  of  his  aims  and  the  work  of  his  life, 
and  to  them  he  could  talk  on  art,  literature,  and 
religious  subjects,  feeling  himself  understood  and 
appreciated.  Toward  the  last  his  mind  failed ;  he 
could  not  remember  faces  or  names,  at  one  time 
even  mistaking  his  son  for  Professor  Wiley.  Only 
a  few  weeks  before  the  end  Bishop  Alfred  Harding, 
of  the  Diocese  of  Washington,  to  whom  he  had  ex- 
pressed his  desire  to  present  certain  of  his  works 
through  him  to  the  cathedral  being  built  in  Wash- 
ington, came  out  to  see  them.  When  informed  of 
the  Bishop's  coming  he  did  not  realize  for  what 
purpose  and  asked,  ''Does  he  hold  service  here  to- 
day T'  However,  he  dressed  and  went  to  the  studio 
to  meet  him. 

Once  there  among  his  cherished  works  all  trace 
of  bodily  or  mental  weakness  seemed  to  leave  him 
and  he  appeared  transfigured.  His  face  shone  as 
with  a  celestial  light  as  he  showed  each  picture  and 
explained  its  meaning.  Those  present  who  knew 
his  physical  condition  looked  on  in  wonder  and  awe. 
His  body  and  mind  were  incapable  of  the  action  dis- 
played ;  it  was  his  spirit,  his  soul  that  now  spoke 
and  moved  among  them;  and  when  he  stood  with 
bowed  head  to  receive  the  blessing  of  the  bishop 
they  almost  expected  him  to  be  caught  up  to  meet 
his  Master  as  he  had  believed  he  might  be— so  ut- 
terly unlike  a  thing  of  earth  and  so  ethereal  and 
angelic  did  he  appear. 

After  the  bishop  had  gone  he  did  not  remember 


232  A  VISION  REALIZED 

his  visit,  and  soon  relapsed  into  Ms  former  semi- 
conscious condition. 

By  Ms  expressed  request  three  large  paintings 
were  later  presented  to  the  cathedral  at  Wash- 
ington—''It  is  Finished,"  ''The  Burial  of  Moses," 
and  ' '  The  Church  Militant. ' ' 

He  lived  now  only  in  the  past,  speaMng  daily 
of  his  old  friends,  his  father,  brother,  wife,  and 
always  ending  with  "They  are  all  gone;  it  is  time 
for  me  to  go ;  I  am  ready. "  So  he  patiently  awaited 
the  call  of  the  Master  he  had  served  so  long  and 
faithfully.    It  came  December  9,  1909. 

On  the  night  of  the  8th  he  slipped  and  fell, 
breaking  his  hip.  The  shock  was  more  than  his 
weakened  condition  could  bear,  and  after  a  few 
hours  he  lapsed  into  unconsciousness  and  passed 
away  quietly,  just  24  hours  after  the  accident. 

And  now  the  story  is  told.  The  aim  has  been  to 
give  history  and  description  rather  than  criticism, 
and  the  object  to  set  before  the  reader  a  Christian 
artist,  a  painter  of  ideas;  always  a  good  draughts- 
man and  rich  and  fertile  in  composition,  he  later 
became  a  good  painter,  though  he  scorned  the  affec- 
tations of  the  fasMon  of  the  day  and  adhered  to 
solid  and  substantial  work.  His  aim  was  too  honest 
to  permit  Mm  to  descend  to  artistic  tricks  by  wMch 
to  draw  attention  to  his  doings.  If  his  works  are 
received  at  all  it  must  be  for  their  intrinsic  merit 
first,  because  of  what  they  say  to  the  heart  and  soul 
of  the  beholder;  and  second,  because  technically 
they  are  full  of  conscientious  study.  And  it  must 
be  that  when  vague  impressionism  and  trifling 
decorative  art  has  had  its  day  these  works  of  noble 


LIFE  STORY  OF  REV.  J.  A.  OERTEL,  D.D.     233 

purpose  will  find  an  appreciative  public  and  have  a 
strong  hold  upon  the  affections  of  the  true  lover  of 
American  art. 


